You're my end of the world
by Skarto
Summary: Currently being revised. Leon is split between two paths, one of which will lead to his downfall. RE4. AU, OOC.
1. You can't save us

**Ok, just to make this clear, I did not intend for this to be a Leon/Saddler story, it just sorta happened! Honestly, I was listening to "every time" by Britney (I just like the song, not her) and I felt the urge to write a story with a sad ending. Anyway, I wrote this in a really short space of time, really quickly, so it is probably crappy in some places. Dunno if I'll make this a one-shot or not… **

**EDIT: Yeah, altered some spelling mistakes (like fucking _minute…_) and some sentence stuffs.**

The sun was rising for the day they would die.

Leon had made it, bloody and exhausted to the island where Saddler resided. He had battled his way past the soldier Ganado, trying to block out the screams they made as they died.

_This is wrong…_

He had murdered them. He couldn't escape from that fact. He tried telling himself that they were evil, it was either them or him, but it didn't work. These people had been forced into doing this by Saddler.

Leon flew into a rage at this thought, and redoubled his efforts to catch the evil priest.

Finally, he reached the platform where Saddler and a dozen soldiers were standing.

_Waiting for him…?_

The priest seemed to be admiring the sunrise, and even Leon had to admit that it was something. The clouds were turning a bloody red colour, with a faint purple hue at the edges.

Looking far into the distance, Leon could swear he saw a helicopter, zooming away from them. He frowned, confused as to why the aircraft had not picked him up. Maybe Saddler scared them off…

"She's armed the bomb."

Leon jerked in surprise, spinning around to look at the priest, his gun raised.

"I…I couldn't stop her. She was-"Saddler broke off suddenly, a splutter of laughter on his lips.

"Too fast."

The priest shifted his weight, and Leon caught a glimpse of a bloody and smashed shoulder. Saddler didn't seem to have the energy to heal it. He turned, and at last looked Leon in the eye.

"Your so-called friend left you here to die on this god-forsaken rock with us, Leon!"

Leon stared into the distance, his eyes wide, and shook his head.

"She wouldn't do that. She's not like that! She's coming back!"

The priest gave another humorless laugh, and withdrew something from his pocket. He turned his gaze on it for a second before throwing it to Leon. He then turned his attention to the sun, which was rapidly rising, and illuminating his yellow eyes.

Leon caught the object, and looked. It seemed to be some sort of clock, counting down digitally.

Shit.

"Five minutes are all we have left Leon. Why don't you come over here? I see little point in killing you now."

Leon hardly noticed what Saddler was saying, his mind flying through all the escape routes and options.

"Haven't you tried to escape? You're just going to give up and let your people die?" Leon's voice rose with anger as he thought of all the times that had happened to him.

_Heartless bastard._

Saddler cast a tired eye over the annoyed agent.

"She's blocked the exits. There is no chance we'd be able to clear them in time."

He sighed, and began walking towards Leon, who had collapsed to his knees, head in hands. In a strange gesture, he ran a hand through Leon's hair. The agent looked up, tears streaking his cheeks.

Saddler pulled Leon to his feet, and gripped his shoulder, wincing with pain. Leon closed his eyes, expecting to feel a claw rip through his chest. Instead, he was pulled closer, a cheek against his.

"Three minutes" Saddler's voice whispered in his ear, lips brushing softly against the skin.

Leon was only aware of his tears mixing with the priest's. Of his body pressed against Saddler's.

"Leon," breathed Saddler. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry it has to end like this."

"Yeah, me too." Leon admitted.

The forgotten clock lay on the ground, the time reading 1:30…1:29…1:28…

Leon threw his arms round the priest, and sobbed into his shoulder, clutching the soft material.

"Well, how would you like to spend your last minute, Leon?"

Leon extracted himself from Saddler's shoulder, and gazed into his eyes…

….which were suddenly the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

Saddler bent his face down, as Leon brought his up. Their lips met and Leon knew, for some strange reason, that he loved this man.

_Probably the fact that I'm about to die…_

The ground rumbled beneath their feet. Lips still pressed together, and tears still running freely, they looked into each other's eyes. Saddler's seemed to smile at Leon, peacefully. Leon's were filled with fear and panic, but he didn't stop kissing Saddler.

The very world seemed to erupt around them, and even though there were the sounds of Ganado screaming, and a huge booming, both of them heard nothing but silence, feeling nothing but each other.

The pain came, and caused them to scream in each other's mouths, but still clinging to each other. Saddler finally broke the kiss, throwing his head back, and screaming in pain as rocks fell, and buried them both.

The last thing that Leon felt as he was being crushed under the falling rocks was Saddler's hand, still in his. Leon smiled, his eyes half-lidded. He stroked the palm with his finger. His eyes closed, and with the smile still on his lips, succumbed to the darkness.

-----------------------------------------------------

Away in the distance, Ada Wong watched from the helicopter as the island collapsed. She took out her hand-held radio, Wesker's image staring back at her.

"It's done. Leon and Saddler have been eliminated."

"Good. Report back to base with the samples."

Ada sighed as Wesker broke contact. She stared back out of the window, looking back at the decimated piece of land.

"Leon…I'm sorry."


	2. Still holding on

**Snow puff: I can _defiantly _tell that you like the f-word. Fuck, who doesn't? It has two meanings! And Ashley should go boom, unless she can find a way off without clinging to Leon every step of the way (unlikely!). Thank you for reviewing! Especially the funny bit!**

**Chantay: Aw, thanks! It will get kinkier though, so watch this space ;).**

**Parslie: Thank you! I love LeonXSaddler pairings, so I decided to write one. Or twenty. Saddler's apology was sincere, but I can see what you mean.**

**TheHomicidalManiac777: Thanks for reviewing; it really does suck to be them…**

**Ok, I just realised I spelt _minute_ wrong in the first chapter. Bugger. How stupid can you get? Bangs head against wall**

**Can everyone pretend that it's a measurement of time? Just so that it doesn't seem like Saddler has 5 pieces of music in slow triple time. That would be silly.**

**Listening to James Blunts 'Goodbye my Lover' Sniff It's so…sad! Bursts into tears**

Saddler woke up.

Slowly, painfully, unbelievably woke up.

It took a while for him to actually accept it as true, the massive crushing weight on his chest finally bringing him back to reality.

It must have been the Plaga, he supposed. Saddler, had in fact died as the rocks crushed him, but the Plaga had revived him, transferring some of its energy to his heart, causing it to beat again.

As the Plaga healed Saddler, the memories came flooding back. The bitch arming the bomb, the brave American agent, Leon. The way his mouth tasted when they…

Leon! Was he still alive? Had his Plaga healed him in the same way? Saddler tried to heave the rocks off his chest. It was then he noticed the hand that still held his, locked in a death-grip.

Saddler tried to make a noise of denial, but he could not get enough air into his lungs to make even the smallest of noises. Calling on his Plaga for help once more, Saddler felt his body rush with power and adrenaline. Gripping the pale hand in his, Saddler burst through the fallen rocks, literally punching through them.

Reaching the life-giving air above him, Saddler hardly stopped to take breath. He pulled Leon's limp body from the rubble, and knelt down beside it. Leon's handsome face was scarcely recognizable, dried blood encrusted half of his face from a huge gash from just above his right eye. A massive dent in the left side of his skull was clearly the cause of death.

Saddler realised that Leon had removed the Plaga in some way. Lucky he kept a spare.

Saddler reached in his back pocket to touch broken glass. Cursing loudly, Saddler felt in his pocket again, drawing all the pieces of the broken syringe out, until he finally found what he was looking for. A small white thing that looked like a bubble, suspended in the smallest pool of purple liquid.

Saddler held the young Plaga carefully, unsure as to whether it had also perished in the fall. A faint wriggle told him that it still lived. Saddler smiled. Had this been an ordinary Ganado Plaga, he doubted it would have survived. But this was a new Plaga, genetically engineered by Luis Sera himself to be able to transform into different aspects of the Plaga species.

Saddler had planned to use this Plaga on himself, make him more powerful, but Leon needed it more than he did. The Plaga was weak, so Saddler cut a line across his finger, using his nails. The blood dripped into the small vial and after a moment, the small Plaga began to move around its tiny container, drinking every particle of Saddler's powerful blood as it could.

Saddler bent over Leon's neck, and dug his nails into a vein; knowing that the blood would not flow. He held the tiny Plaga over the wound, and it entered, burrowing into the bloodstream; trying to revive its new host. Saddler picked Leon up, knowing that it would take a while for the Plaga to fully heal the human to a point where he could be revived.

**So, how was it? Leon's now been infected with a brand-spanking new Plaga, one that can change physical aspects of a human, such as let's say…growing gills, growing wings, growing a bigger…cough Um…yeah, let's just leave it there, and pretend I said nothing.**


	3. Merchant dealings

**Parslie: Thanks for reviewing! Sorry for bringing up bad memories of your baby bird.**

The young Plaga immediately healed the source of the problem; Leon's fatal head injury. There would be no sense in trying to revive its host if he instantly died from the same wound. While it repaired Leon's crushed skull, it also set about making his muscles bigger, to cope with the changes that he would soon experience.

Meanwhile, Saddler was carrying Leon to a boat, under the base of the island. Since the actual island was totally destroyed, he needed to get to Ramon Salazar's castle. When Leon had passed through, he had killed most of the zealots, but Saddler knew that some would have survived. All the essential things would still be there, although the only experimental objects that had survived the island's destruction had been the things Saddler carried with him.

He thanked his Gods that he always kept the strongest Plaga samples on him.

Looking down at the handsome face, he brushed a few locks of blond hair out of Leon's eyes. He knew that the Plaga would heal him, and then Leon would have to repay him in some way. Saddler smiled as he thought of what that way could be. The experience of kissing the younger male before had not been enough, but it wouldn't do to go ravaging dead or alive Leon. He would have to wait for the man to come to him.

And come to him he would, as soon as he learnt what he could do, what the Plaga had helped him to do, the sacrifice Saddler had made for him.

Saddler sighed in pleasure, remembering those lips on his; eyes of ice on eyes of fire.

Saddler soon snapped out of his fantasies when they arrived at the boat. There would be plenty of time for that later, but right now he had to take care of Leon.

The boat was just a simple wooden one with a motor attached, but it would get them to the mainland fast.

As Saddler was lowering Leon carefully into the boat, Leon's eyes opened, but rolled back in his head. His hand clenched and unclenched, and his mouth opened, a basic moan emitting from it. Saddler was not worried by this display; it meant the Plaga was running trials to see if it had everything working as it should be. No point in reviving a brain-dead host.

The boat roared through the sea. Luckily, the morning was not the rain filled one it sometimes was, just the usual grey clouds above. Saddler cradled Leon's healing head in his hands, humming a soft Spanish tune which could hardly be heard over the snarl of the motor.

The mainland soon came into view, and the castle was thankfully still there. Saddler stopped the boat at the dock and made a graceful leap to the shore, Leon still in his arms. Some colour had come back to his face, and there was a weak pulse.

Saddler was having a hell of a time trying to get up the rope to the tower. The merchant had wandered by to watch, and also to try to convince Saddler to buy a weapon. He was rattling off about all the guns and what they could do, while Saddler frantically tried to find a way up the rock face.

"No, I do not want to buy a weapon! Does it look like I need one? If you're not going to help me get him up the cliff, then go away!"

The merchant gave Saddler a dark look, and then turned his attention to the man he had sold weapons to many times before. He had lots of money. The merchant was confused as to why Saddler was trying to get him up the cliff. Then it dawned on him.

As Saddler examined the rope, the merchant seized Leon's arms, and began to drag him, slowly, towards the dock area.

"Hey! What are you doing? Get off him!"

Saddler grabbed Leon's legs and tried to wrestle him off the merchant, who clung on stubbornly.

"Not…gunna' let him be one of your freak experiments!"

"What are you talking about? I'm saving his life!"

"By mutatin' him? I think he'd rather be dead!"

Seeing that Saddler wasn't going to give up Leon easily, the merchant let go of him and whipped out a powerful looking magnum. In response, Saddler mutated his leg, and pointed it directly at the merchant's head.

"Listen to me, please. I need to get him to the castle. I don't want him to die, or be my slave, ok? I just want him to live. So I need your help. Please?"

The merchant narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying the story. Saddler sighed, and decided to try his usual approach.

"Listen to me, _swine_. I need to get him to the castle, and you are going to help me or I will stick this through your head. Understand?"

The merchant paled, and nodded, stuffing the gun back into his coat.

"Good. Now climb the rope, and when you get to the top, I'll tie him to the rope, and you pull him up."

The merchant nodded again, and began to climb the rope, the varies weapons in his long overcoat clinking.

When he got to the top he waved to Saddler, who tied the unconscious Leon to the rope. The merchant then began to haul him up, Leon's body jerking like a mannequin.

"Be careful with him! He's very important to me!" Saddler yelled up at the merchant. "In more ways than one…"

When Leon had been pulled up, Saddler began to climb the rope.

"Damned merchant better not have run off with him…"

When he got to the top, he found the merchant bent over Leon, who was moaning, and burning hot.

"Stranger's got a fever; we better get him inside fast."

"It's the Plaga kick-starting his brain, we need something to heal him with."

"Got some first-aid sprays, but they'll cost you."

Saddler just stared at the merchant, and began to mutate his leg again.

"There's no need for tha'! I was kiddin'!"

"This is not the time for jokes! Heal him!"

The merchant rummaged around inside his pockets, and pulled out a bottle of spray. He dampened Leon's forehead with it, and the young man let out a relived sigh and stopped moaning.

Saddler kissed the cooling brow lightly, and then picked Leon up. The merchant watched, and cocked his head to one side.

"Why are you saving him? I thought you hated Americans."

"I truly believed we were going to die, so I kissed him. When I did, there was…something…it's hard to explain. It just felt right."

"Ah, I see what you mean. Love at first snog."

**Smutty merchant. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, please R&R!**


	4. Show me

**Snow puff: Leon breaking in half would be funny. Saddler would probably cry. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Akura loves Sanzo: Thank you! It's good, because my life depends on writing this story as well. **

**Chapter 4, because I am in the writing mood!**

**Slashy slashyness in this chapter, so if you are reading this and are under 16, or don't like Leon and Saddler pairings, shame on you. Stop reading! Now!**

**I gave you fair warning. Smut! Bahhhhh, smut!**

The next survivor they encountered was none other than Ramon Salazar. He was sitting on the platform where Leon had 'killed' him, not wearing much, and talking to a couple of monks who had endured Leon's killing spree.

When the doors opened, he swung round.

"My lord! I thought you were dead!"

"I was," admitted Saddler. "But I'm better now. I see the Plaga healed you as well?"

Salazar nodded proudly.

"Almost instantly, since I have the power to control it. Have you seen the-" He stopped, finally realising who the human was who was held in his master's arms.

"Him! That American rat almost ended me! Are you going to torture him, my lord? Can I assist you?"

"He will not be tortured, Ramon. I have re-infected him with the new Plaga."

"But my lord! He is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of our followers! Here we have suffered the worst, and all you do is give him a great gift and bring him back? He will kill us, and this time succeed!"

"He has been infected, and is under our control. Is Bitores alive?"

Salazar glared at Saddler, but then lowered his head in sadness.

"No. I have sent word out, but they say the human that you are defending has completely ruined his molecular structure. He cannot rise as we have done."

Saddler nodded.

"It is a great shame about Bitores. He was a good friend and companion. But we have a more than suitable replacement right here, Ramon. With your permission, I would like him to reside here for the time being, until he gets fully adjusted to his new Plaga."

Salazar looked as though he was going to say no, but he realised he would be upsetting his lord.

Not the wisest thing to do in this situation.

"I suppose…he can stay here, although only until he heals, and not a moment later. Now if you'll excuse me my lord, I have to gather what little survivors we have, and sort this place out."

The little man walked through the gateway, Saddler, the merchant and the two monks following him.

While they travelled through the endless twists and turns of the castle, they assembled a number of monks who Leon had fail to spot, and had soon accumulated a fair sized amount of them.

As they passed through the instruction hall, Salazar stopped his monks.

"I will issue orders, and inform them of what to do. You go on ahead, and put _him_ somewhere to recover."

"Make sure you tell them not to harm him, and he won't harm them. I don't want any nasty misunderstandings."

"Yes, my lord."

Saddler placed Leon on the first bed he found, which happened to be the one nearest the maze, and set about removing Leon's clothes. The merchant dithered about helplessly, but protested about the removing of Leon's pants.

"Give the poor bugger some dignity; he'll be pissed off as it is. No need for him to think you've been molestin' him as well."

Saddler consented, although looking a little disappointed. He didn't think Leon would really be in the mood for some kind of weird resurrection sex.

"I'll wake him up soon, and explain what's happening. You go down to the village, and gather as many of the villagers as you can. Bring them here."

The merchant nodded, and dumped his heavy rucksack next to the bed.

"I'll be back in a while then."

As soon as the merchant had left, Saddler nuzzled next to Leon in the bed, running a hand across the agent's chest. He leaned closer to Leon's head, lips brushing his ear.

"Wake up Leon. Let me love you."

Saddler kissed Leon, sliding his tongue past innocent lips, rousing the Plaga inside.

Leon's eyes fluttered open at the oral invasion. He started to pull away, but a hand through his hair pushed him closer.

Gradually relaxing into the kiss, Leon wrapped his arms around Saddler.

Leon broke the kiss a few minutes later, causing Saddler to moan in disappointment.

"I have to go."

Leon began to sit up, but Saddler shook his head and pressed him back down, starting up the kiss again.

"Do you trust me?"

The question that was purred into his ear surprised Leon. Did he trust Saddler? Could he? The man had kidnapped Ashley, but he had also saved his life. So…

"Yes. Always."

They embraced, but tears welled in Leon's eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't belong here Saddler, we both know that."

"You _do _belong here, with me. I love you, Leon."

The tears were flowing freely on both sides, and Leon was held closer.

"Don't…please…please don't say that. You don't mean it. You can't. Don't hurt me like this…"

"I do mean it. I love you. And I need you. Don't _you_ hurt _me_ by leaving."

Leon pulled Saddler down on top of him, trying unsuccessfully to remove to older man's long robe. Saddler regarded Leon, as he was getting more worked up with trying to take off his clothes.

"Leon, there are a few things we need to discuss first. The Plaga I infected you with-"

"Osmund! I don't want to talk right now, I just want you. Now tell me how to take this robe off before I tear it off with my teeth!"

Saddler's eyes half-closed while he tried to picture that exotic sight. There was a grunt as Leon finally found the buckle to undo the robe…which he also couldn't work.

"Fuck!"

Saddler chuckled at the sight of Leon's face, desperately trying to undo the clasp.

"Here, let me."

In one fluid movement, Saddler had removed his robe.

"Better," Leon smiled as he felt Saddler's taut muscles beneath his fingers, and sighed in pleasure as a clever hand made its way down his body.

"Better." He whispered.

Luis Sera sat atop a Colmillos cage in the maze, silently cursing Albert Wesker. Even though the man had saved him from death, he had sent him back immediately after finding that the parasite had the ability to heal its host, even if to all intents and purposes they were dead. Luis did not want to stay here.

This time, he had to make sure that the Plaga were completely destroyed before leaving.

He sighed, and took out her binoculars again, trying to catch a glimpse of his targets. Finally, two figures walked into the room where Ada had confronted Leon. The merchant that had kindly sold him weapons, and his main objective. Saddler, who had 'killed' him, was carrying someone in and placing them on the bed. He adjusted his binoculars, trying to discover who the Illuminados leader was helping. Maybe another type of experiment?

The merchant eventually moved his bulk, and Luis focused on the unknown figure.

Leon!

Somehow he had survived the explosion, and was now lying on a bed, Saddler beside him. He watched them for a bit longer, noting the way Leon was now encouraging Saddler, instead of pulling out a gun and telling him to retreat. He seemed very much at peace, and Luis felt the sadness draw him in as he remembered his job was to eradicate him. But it was still his job.

He picked up the transceiver, and contacted Wesker (who took _eleven _beeps to pick up.)

"Ah, Sera. I was hoping I would see you soon. Any new information?"

"I can confirm that Saddler and Leon are alive."

"And what are they doing now?"

Luis brought the binoculars back up to his eyes and frowned.

"They appear to be…"

His eyes widened as the actions of Leon and Saddler were exposed.

The words 'Jesus' and 'Christ' echoed loudly around the maze.

Saddler looked up from licking Leon's chest at the foreign exclamation.

"What was that?"

Leon whined impatiently.

"Don't know, don't care. Can you please continue? I think I'm about to lose my mind."

Saddler shrugged, and set to work unfastening Leon's pants.

Luis stayed in the same position for around a minute, a hand over his mouth, eyes wide.

Wesker cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, Sera? I take it from that outburst that they're not exactly sitting down and having a civil conversation. What are they doing?"

Luis thought carefully for a moment.

"…Coupling…" He whispered.

Oblivious to the fact that Luis was watching the whole show, Leon and Saddler had eventually discarded all clothes on the floor. They lay there for a moment wrapped in an embrace, both letting each other run their hands over their bodies, trembling with excitement and gasping every time a sensitive place was touched.

Leon began to nip at Saddler's skin, which was annoyingly arousing for the cult leader. He responded by running his nails down Leon's back and thighs, causing the younger man to squirm delightfully. He rolled over, until he was pinning Leon down by the wrists. Saddler lent down, another kiss approaching, when Leon licked him on the tip of his nose.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are we going to actually do this, or just kiss? Because I've never…uh…."

Saddler lent down and kissed Leon's forehead.

"I'd be happy either way, but if it's your first time I can show you how."

Leon pulled Saddler slowly down until the cult leader was lying fully on top of him.

"Show me."

Luis watched through his binoculars, mouth slightly open, barely listening to Wesker who was trying his hardest to give him his orders.

"Sera!"

"Huh? What?"

"Are you going to watch the perverted disgusting show, or are you going to listen to me?"

Luis had to think about this.

"Sera, it's not a hard question."

"Oh, um…I guess I'm listening to you."

"Good. Now, this is going to be tricky, but if you follow my instructions, this should work out. What you are going to have to do is re-introduce yourself to Saddler."

"What the hell are you smoking, Wesker? He'll kill me if he knows I'm still alive!"

"Not if you meet him when Kennedy is present. He won't let Saddler hurt you. Do everything you can to make them trust you. Even if that means getting yourself re-infected. Once you can get close enough, destroy the Plaga, and everyone who is contaminated. Do not falter Sera, are you hearing this? Do not let a single one survive, even Kennedy."

Not trusting himself to speak, Luis nodded.

**Don't hate me. Please.**


	5. Claws and Paws

**XxMade in HeavenxX: Now now, the killing of sexy characters is illegal.**

**Snow Puff: I had to resurrect Salazar, he's too short to die. Mendez was too tall. You can see how it evens out, can't you?**

**LeonKennedyisSOFINGAWESOME: Um. First of all, great name. I am proud to be a sick freak. I get told it everyday. No, I haven't forgotten about Ashley. Here is a nice long chapter which contains her. As for Salazar, see above.**

**Akura loves Sanzo: Yeah! Rebel against the system! XD I'm glad someone likes my smut! It's reasonable to say that Leon and Luis could have some action… **

**WARNING! **

**This chapter contains attempted suicide, followed by sex. If you don't like the pairings, don't read it.**

After a couple of hours spent in each other's arms, Leon and Saddler both found themselves drifting into an exhausted sleep. There was no need for words; they knew exactly how the other felt.

Just as Leon was about to fall asleep, the door burst open making them both jump.

In swaggered the merchant, looking rather pleased with himself, followed by a couple of dozen Ganado. Observing the scene in front of them, a few of the older ones backed rather sheepishly out of the door again. The younger ones hung back, their eyes wide. They grinned at each other, and began to whisper and chuckle quietly.

Saddler looked mortified.

The merchant was furious.

Striding across to the bed, he seized Saddler by the arm and threw him onto the floor in clear view of all the Ganado.

"Ya bastard! Takin' advantage of him, he's only just woken up! I should've never left you alone with him!"

Yelping, Saddler tried to reach the bed so he could cover himself up, but the merchant was in the way. All Saddler succeeded in doing, was knocking him onto the bed in his haste to get back some dignity. The Ganado went wild, clapping and cheering.

Leon was very confused, and sat up trying to make sense of the drama around him.

"ALRIGHT! Everyone out! Go on,_ vaya_!" Saddler yelled, trying to shove the merchant off the bed.

The Ganado happily strolled out of the door, commenting on the events like men conversing about a football match.

When the last few voices had faded to nothing, there was absolute silence in the room.

The merchant was panting, glaring at Saddler suspiciously.

Saddler's eye was twitching as he glanced at the merchant, and then at Leon.

Leon's gaze kept switching between the two men, still confused.

Saddler was the first to break the silence as he picked his purple robe up off the floor.

He stared angrily at the merchant.

"You. Me. In there. Now." He gestured to the adjoining room.

The merchant shrugged, and followed Saddler into the room to have a not-so-quiet word.

Leon lay on his back and sighed as the shouting started, both men severely annoyed with each other.

He noticed a twinkling on the bed's overhang that signalled a spinal. Lazily, he reached out an arm as if he could reach it. To his amazement, he felt his hand touch the small stone. Looking at the rest of his arm, he saw that his skin had turned a mottled grey and brown colour, and felt more like it was armour-plated.

He pulled the spinal down, and was relieved to witness his skin returning to its normal pale self.

He giggled, not feeling in the least bit upset by his new ability. He tossed the spinal high, revelling in how quickly he could snatch it back out of the air. He threw it faster and faster, until he got a bit too carried away, and it flew towards the other side of the room.

"Whoa!"

He reached out as fast as he could…

And put a large claw through an ancient plate mounted on a desk.

The plate fell to the floor and smashed to pieces. Very loudly.

The yells in the other room stopped immediately, and Leon hastily withdrew his clawed arm.

Saddler and the merchant emerged from the doorway, looking round for the source of disturbance. Their eyes rested on Leon, who was looking slightly shocked.

"I smashed a plate." He said quietly.

The merchant studied him intently.

"How? You didn't go over there."

But Saddler was looking at Leon proudly, like a parent watching a child taking their first steps in the world. He sat next to Leon on the bed, and put an arm around him.

"You mutated yourself, didn't you?" He whispered. When Leon nodded, he grinned and kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome to the club." He turned to the merchant. "My Leon's learning." This comment provoked another row, and Leon was once again crushed against Saddler. He gave up, and recollected the events leading up to this point.

&&&&

_A blond haired girl cowered in the corner._

"_No! Get away!"_

"_Whoa, take it easy! My name's Leon. I'm under the president's orders to rescue you."_

_The girl looked up, hope written all over her face._

"_What? My father?"_

"_That's right. And I have to get you out of here."_

&&&&

"Ashley!"

Leon jerked back to reality, and tried to struggle out of Saddler's grip.

"Get off, Osmund! I need to save her! I need to save Ashley!"

Saddler stroked Leon's blond hair soothingly as he tried to break out of his grasp.

"If she was on that island with us, then she's dead. No two ways about that."

"That's not quite true."

Saddler and Leon turned to stare at the merchant, who seemed pleased for the first time. After a while, Leon spoke.

"Well?" He prompted.

"Oh yeah, after you parked her near me, we got talkin'. I figured I couldn't let her die, so I rescued her."

"And where did you put her?"

"Up near the village, she had some crazy idea that you were coming back." He frowned. "I didn't see her when I went back just now though. Maybe she's still hiding somewhere."

Leon looked up at Saddler, pleadingly.

"We have to go and get her! Please! It's my job!" Saddler shook his head.

"I'm not letting you go outside until you're fully healed, in about a week."

"A whole WEEK? I can't leave Ashley alone for a week! I'm going to get her!"

Leon sat up, but Saddler pushed him back down.

"We can send out some Ganado to find her. She'll be fine."

"She won't! She's scared of them, and they're not the cleverest creatures! If she hides from them, they won't be able to find her! Let me go!"

Saddler sighed as Leon tried to scratch and bite his way out of his grip.

"Fine then. I will go if you're so concerned. But I don't see why we have to find the annoying brat."

"It's my-"

"Job, yes I know." Saddler studied the merchant. "Make sure he doesn't esca- doesn't go anywhere. I'll be back soon."

The merchant gave a sarcastic salute that Saddler ignored. He gave Leon another kiss, and an almost sad look, and swept out of the door.

Chuckling into his scarf, the Merchant sat in a chair near the bed.

"Well…looks like you've had a rough time. An' I mean that both ways. How're you feelin'?"

"Surprisingly okay. I don't know what he meant when he said I couldn't go out for a week. I mean, I'm tired for obvious reasons, but it doesn't hurt anywhere."

"Speakin' of these 'obvious reasons', what the hell were ya thinkin'? He could have hurt you, or worse. You're supposed to be fightin' him, not shaggin' him."

Leon went slightly pink as he remembered the previous few hours of pleasure.

"I-I didn't plan that! I just woke up and he was kissing me! It felt so right, I couldn't stop! I…I think I lo-"

"Oh no, you don't! Don't go sayin' it, 'cause it's not true! You do not love him. Look at me Leon; You. Do. Not. Love him."

"Oh. Yes. I. Do."

The merchant threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Fine then, go on shaggin' the bastard! But you'd be turning your back on your friends and people."

"Yeah well, it's not like I'm bad at that anyway. Look at Ashley. Oh wait, she's not here! All because I was too stupid to leave her alone. What WAS I thinking? Leaving her down there, anything could have got her! And now she's out there, all alone, probably scared to death. And I'm sitting here doing NOTHING!" Leon shouted this last word, making the merchant jump.

"Well why don' ya do somethin' about it, instead of moping around here and shoutin' at me?"

Leon looked up bitterly.

"Because you're stopping me from going, remember?"

The merchant puffed out his chest proudly.

"Why do ya think I sold you all 'em guns? Because he ordered me to? No, I'm neutral. So if you want to go save your girl, I'm not stoppin' ya. Your boyfriend is."

Leon looked up, surprised.

"You'll let me go?"

"Sure. Just don't get into trouble"

Leon grinned.

"Don't worry, I have a plan. Um…could you get me my clothes please? I'm slightly…naked."

The merchant chuckled, and handed Leon his blood-stained, ripped clothes.

"Great…I'm going to have to get new ones…I don't suppose that there's a Top Man around here, is there?"

It was now the merchant's turn to look bewildered.

"Well…yeah, there's Saddler…I don't know whether he can lend you any though… "

"Forget it. I'll be alright with these for a bit longer."

The merchant turned away while Leon dressed, and amused himself by flicking a corner of the painting in front of him.

"Ok, I'm done. I'd better get going."

The merchant turned to see Leon disappearing through the same door that Saddler had gone through.

"Good luck. Idiot."

&&&&

As Leon reached the drawbridge, he saw that Saddler had raised it behind him.

_Well if he thinks that's going to stop me, he doesn't know Leon Scott Kennedy._

He tensed all his muscles before realising the strange bumps that were spreading across his skin, like something was trying to grow.

Leon shrugged, undeterred. He tensed again, and hoped this would work.

He ran to the edge of the gorge, and pushed off from the edge without slowing down.

He soared into the air, a sense of elation in the pit of his stomach. He grinned insanely as he fell back to earth on the other side of the drawbridge, dropping to one knee and shattering the earth around him.

Man, he felt hyped!

He lifted his head, almost wishing for an audience. All he found was the track that began the journey to the village.

Still grinning, he ran all the way down, not even reaching top speed but still going faster than he had ever run before. Not even pausing, he placed one foot on the left side of the wall beside the gate, and the other foot on the opposite side. He was propelled into the air a second time, and controlled his landing so that he landed on top of the gate, barely balancing on anything but thin air.

He folded his arms and started to laugh loudly, scaring flocks of crows from the trees. He was in such a state of rapture that he almost forgot about the plan. Remembering it again, he let himself fall of the top of the gate; mutating as he fell.

He had mutated his arm, now it was time to see what he could do with the rest.

It wasn't hands and feet that hit the floor; it was claws and paws.

Leon's clothes ripped as his body swelled and grew grey fur. His teeth grew alarmingly, curving into huge fangs as his sense of smell also increased. His muscled rippled under the fur, and he let out a blood curling howl that was echoed by several other sources in the woods surrounding the village.

Leon Kennedy was now a Colmillo.

He was pleased that he retained his human mind, and set off down the path towards the village, past the cabin where he had fought the Ganado with Luis. Leon whined as the memory surfaced, upset about the brave Spaniard's fate.

He hoped that wherever he was, Luis could forgive him for falling for the one who killed him.

His mood suited the sky, which was now threatening rain, and Leon just wanted to find Ashley and get back to the castle. He pushed the large wooden gate open, and found himself at the farm. He was confronted by the skittish dog that was barking annoyingly at him. He opened his jaws and let out a feral roar, and the already nervous dog scuttled to the safety of the barn.

With his canine nose he detected the chickens and cows scattered around the farm, and growled hungrily. The last time he ate was hours ago; a few trail rations, and some leftover herbs. He stalked the chickens, and barked savagely when they gave him the slip. However, he soon found out that the chickens were good for more than one type of food. If he left them alone, they pecked around for a bit, then sat down and laid eggs. As he ate a golden one, he felt his hunger leave him completely, and he trotted off happily in the direction of the village.

As he was about to push open the gate, the rain finally started to fall. Not a pathetic sprinkling, but a really heavy downfall. It reminded Leon of Bible weather. He shook himself, and carried on through.

Moving swiftly past the bear traps, Leon put his nose to the ground to try and pick up Ashley's scent. It was nearly impossible to pick up anything in the rain, and Leon had to give up outside, and search some of the houses.

&&&&

Ashley lay under the bed shivering. She was in one of the small cabins in the village, and she was petrified. Earlier, she had heard a noise that turned her blood to ice. It was a hideous howling, that sounded far away but also very loud. She had jumped when the call was answered from all around the village.

But she still stayed where she was.

She would wait for him.

She would _always _wait for him.

She jumped again as the door was thrown open. Watching from her hiding place, she saw the hem of a long purple robe flow into the room. The person walked over to the bed and paused. Ashley clapped a hand over her mouth, afraid that whoever it was could hear her breathing.

She wished she could do the same for her heart.

The stranger sat on the bed, and sighed unhappily. She wanted to call out, to see if it was someone who could help her. But the chances were that it was another evil cultist. So she remained quiet, hoping that Leon would come and rescue her, as he had done countless times before.

There was a rustling of cloth, and something dropped to the ground. The person on the bed swore, and a hand reached down to reclaim the item. Ashley pressed herself further into the shadow.

As the person picked up the object, Ashley gasped as she caught a glimpse of it.

_A syringe…filled with a yellow liquid…_

There was another pause, and the person on the bed seemed to sob.

Ashley badly wanted to know what they were doing, but she wouldn't risk capture again.

All she could do was wait.

&&&&

Leon watched Saddler push open the door to the house, and walk inside. The door closed, and Leon debated whether to go in or not. He decided that it wasn't the best idea.

Searching around the back of the house, he found a window above a load of crates. Scrambling up, he peered through the dirty glass and watched as Saddler dropped the needle on the floor. After he had picked it up, he relaxed against the headboard, and closed his eyes. He held the syringe above his wrist, and a tear ran down his cheek, accompanied by a dry sob.

Leon whined in panic. He didn't know what was in the syringe, but he was betting that it wasn't anything good.

He began to bark as loud as he could. Saddler's head swivelled round, and he gazed at Leon, confused. Leon jumped off the crates, raced round the house and barrelled through the door. He leapt at Saddler, sending the needle flying, and pinned him to the bed, both paws on either side of his head.

He changed back slowly, wanting Saddler to see the pain in his eyes. Searching Saddler's own, he saw shock amidst sorrow and regret.

Looking at the syringe on the floor, he saw it had smashed. The yellow liquid inside was melting the floor and Leon felt tears welling in his eyes. Turning back to Saddler, he saw that his were already flowing.

"You…were going to leave me alone…" Leon's voice sounded as cracked as his heart felt. "You were going to kill yourself…"

Saddler turned his face to the side, the look in Leon's eyes unbearable.

"Why?"

"I…I can't…"

Leon started to sob, his tears falling onto Saddler's purple robe. He buried his face into his shoulder, and felt strong arms wrap themselves around him.

"You have me, Osmund! Am I not worth living for? Am I not…"

Leon was overcome, and the rest of his words were obscured by his weeping. Saddler held him close, and gently soothed him.

"Mi amor, you are worth dying for."

Leon lifted his head and kissed Saddler furiously, channelling his energy into something more constructive. His hands opened Saddler's robe successfully, caressing the skin underneath and making him gasp. He felt a hand over his, encouraging him. He replaced his hand with his mouth, and pulled even greater noises of pleasure from Saddler. Leon felt sudden need paralyzing him, and he moaned as Saddler rolled him over to be on top.

&&&&

Ashley tried hard not to listen to the obvious noises of sex above her. She hoped that the bed wouldn't collapse with the rate it was moving.

She was pleased that Leon was here, but she wasn't about to leap out and tell him so at that moment. The cries of pleasure were getting more frantic, and Ashley buried her fingers in her ears.

&&&&

Leon's final scream was extracted when Saddler bit into his neck; the pain escalating the pleasure further. He lay there, hot and tired underneath Saddler, who was licking the blood away from the wound. Leon touched Saddler's cheek, making him look up.

"Don't leave me…please?"

"Never, mi amor. But we'd better go looking for the girl."

Leon nodded in agreement and then swore as he remembered his clothes. Saddler chuckled as he dressed.

"Just change back."

Leon concentrated once more on the Colmillo form, but he only managed to mutate his arm. He looked helplessly at Saddler, who smiled.

"You have exhausted yourself. I will carry you."

He picked Leon up easily, and walked out of the door. Ashley emerged from her hiding place, and hurried to meet up with them, embarrassed at the conversation that would follow shortly.

&&&&

Luis Sera stepped out of the closet as soon as the door had swung shut. He knelt beside the almost-empty syringe, trying not to look at the state of the bed. Not that he'd ever have admitted it, but the events had greatly aroused him.

He dropped what little liquid there was left in the syringe into a vial, and quietly opened the door to check that Leon, Ashley and Saddler had gone. Assured that they were indeed too far ahead to notice him, Luis followed at a distance.

He'd wished that Saddler had killed himself. It would have made his 'job' for Wesker a lot easier.

**I am now VERY tired. So I will leave it at that. Please R&R!**


	6. Talk to me

**Snow Puff: Thanks! I think Salazar's going to hate Leon for a little while longer, insane doggy or not. We must sit (or strap) them down to work out their differences…**

**Akura loves Sanzo: Thank you! It's nice to know other people do stuff they're not supposed to in IT lessons. Mine suck…they're so boring!**

**Parslie: (Looks at poster on wall) My most humble apologies. His hair does seem to be kinda sandy-brown…like my brother's. Sandy brown it is! Thanks for pointing out, and for reviewing.**

Ashley walked a few metres behind Saddler and Leon. What the hell was he doing, lying like a star-struck lover in that bastard's arms? Well, she would follow Leon wherever he went, even if it meant she had to trot after Saddler.

She shivered, the rain cold and the wind pitiless. Her hair was plastered to her face, and her clothes were soaking. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, she hurried to catch up with the priest. He seemed unfazed by the weather, and kept glancing back at her. Whenever he did this, she caught a look of embarrassment on his face. Well, he bloody well should be embarrassed! Fucking her bodyguard on the very bed she was hiding under, she felt physically sick when she thought about it.

Well, at least she had learned something they definitely did not teach her in school.

_She_ deserved to have Leon, not this weird, evil zealot guy. She was the one who had faithfully followed him, and had stuck beside him during everything.

She grimaced as a particularly strong blast of wind whipped her soaking hair into her eyes. The journey seemed to take longer than last time they had come this way.

"Hey! Wait up! How much more further is it?" Was this guy deliberately leading her round the long way?

He stopped so she could catch up, and shifted Leon in his arms. She stood to his side, not wanting to go much closer, despite him holding Leon.

"We're almost at the drawbridge."

With a shock, Ashley saw that they were indeed nearer than she thought. They were on the track leading to the castle. She hoped that the insane cultists were to be nice to her this time, and maybe give her some food. She was starving.

She was also very worried about Leon, if Saddler decided to have him chained up or killed when they got back, there would be little he could do stop them. But could she really trust him now? Saddler had obviously re-infected him; did this mean that he was going to help Saddler with his plans for America? Would he be the one holding her down whilst some cloaked guy injected her?

These questions whizzed around her head as she stumbled up the slope, slipping every few seconds. Would she ever get home and see her father again? She was glad, for once, that it was raining. She didn't want Saddler to see the evidence of her grieving.

They reached the drawbridge, and Saddler let out a piercing whistle. There was a pause, and then the bridge was lowered. They walked across it in silence, Ganado rushing up to meet their master to offer him dry clothes. He waved them away, and pointed at Ashley. She tensed, expecting an attack from them, ready to run. Instead, Saddler spoke to them in Spanish, his orders hard to make out to her. A Ganado approached Ashley, and tried to grab her arm. She elbowed it in the chest and slapped it in the face. It screamed at her in Spanish, and tried to seize her again.

Saddler seemed to smile tiredly at the little drama scene. He spoke again to the Ganado, who nodded obediently and stood down.

"I suggest you go with them. They will not hurt you, and if it occurs to them, they will feed you and find some more clothes."

Saddler turned his back, but Ashley held her ground.

"So what? You can go and fuck him again?" She spat. "I'm not leaving him, especially not with you!" Saddler took a threatening step forward, but Ashley didn't care. "You don't deserve him after what you've done!"

"Child, if you knew what I've done, you would not be as quick to judge me." His voice was quiet, a warning.

"I know what you've done! Why don't you just fuck off and die? You were going to! Go and finish what you started!" Ashley was breathing hard, her hands clenched into fists. Saddler's merely smiled, and spoke again in Spanish, his voice containing a violent undertone. The Ganado roughly grabbed Ashley, and began to drag her in the opposite direction to Leon and Saddler.

"No! Leon!"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Leon awoke in the same bed as before, the only difference was that Saddler wasn't trying to tongue wrestle him. There was a polite cough from the corner, and Leon turned to see Ramon Salazar standing with his arms folded. Leon gave him a sheepish grin that said: 'Hey, don't you just hate those days when you wake up naked after changing into a wolf then making love to a guy you're supposed to hate, while the girl you're meant to protect is hiding nearby?'

Salazar's look said: 'Get the hell out of my bed.'

There was an awkward silence as both men tried to stare each other down. The Plaga in Leon forced him to submit to his superior, and he reluctantly dropped his gaze to the floor. Sneering at Leon, Salazar stalked round the bed. When he reached the side Leon was sitting on, he grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, blue eyes meeting dangerous amber ones.

"You may not be a Ganado, _American_, but you will still acknowledge my authority. My lord's lover or not, I will expect nothing less. Understand?"

Leon frantically nodded, trying to break contact with this psychopath. Salazar's voice was low and cold as he said:

"I still haven't forgotten that you tried to kill me with those silly little toys of yours. And now our lord has rewarded you with a great gift that I am told you have already tried out a little, hmm?" His voice lightened a little, and his eyes gleamed with an almost childish excitement. "A Colmillo, one type of experiment very close to my heart. I will have to get our lord to create some more, as most of mine were…eradicated. By you, Mr. Kennedy." Salazar turned his back to Leon, his hands clasped behind his back.

"But let us not dwell on the past, as it seems we will have to put up with each other for a while. Unless…you are planning to leave?" Salazar turned his head hopefully.

Leon hadn't really thought about leaving. He considered that going after he had begged Saddler not to, would be somewhat hypocritical. On the other hand, he had to make sure Ashley got home safe.

"I-I don't know. Someone has to take Ashley back, but I don't want to leave Saddler."

"_Lord_ Saddler."

"I called him Osmund, but he didn't seem to mind."

"Yes, but when was this?"

"When we were…"

"Exactly. You should call him 'my lord' in his presence."

Leon rolled his eyes, doubting that Saddler would care. He watched the shorter man as he went to the closet beside the bed, and pulled out a mirror lined with rubies and pearls.

"Hmmm…" He mused, examining himself, and adjusting his hat. "I used to have two of these… I don't know where the other's gone." Leon gulped. He knew precisely where the other was. He also remembered how many pesetas he got off the merchant for it.

Looking out of the window, he saw that the rain had cleared up, and the sky was back to its usual dismal grey colour.

"Shit…what time is it? How long have I been asleep? Where's Ashley?"

Salazar frowned, and took out a brass pocket watch.

"Half past four, two hours, and she was acting hostile towards our lord and the Ganado so we took her away to get some food."

**Next chapter: Ashley eats. :D **


	7. Talking points

**Thanks for the reviews…they make me happy! **

Ashley sat at a long table, flanked by two monks that sat on either side of her. The table was filled with various foods; loaves of bread, fruit, and cold meat. Very different to the usual half-rotting scraps they gave her at the church. After much poking from the monks, she took a small amount of meat and bread and turned it into a sandwich. It tasted strange, not as dry as beef or chicken, but…juicy. A couple of monks on the other side of the table began to whisper and chuckle as she bolted down the odd food. It was only after she had finished it, that she remembered a conversation she had with Leon on her way to the castle.

"_This place sure is weird." She said, watching Leon dispatch a group of axe-wielding Ganado from a distance with his rifle._

"_You're right. Something's happening to the people here. They're acting violently. I found a cart full of dead bodies at the farm, looked like they had been hacked to death."_

_She wrinkled her nose._

"_Why would they do that to their own people? Wouldn't they all be on the same side?"_

_Leon followed a moving enemy, focusing his shot._

"_I don't know. Maybe they resisted. Maybe they didn't want to be like the other people. Or-" He took his shot, the head of the Ganado exploding like a gory firework, and grinned. "Maybe the other people got hungry."_

"_Ewww." She shoved his shoulder. "Don't be disgusting, Leon."_

She stood up suddenly, feeling sick for the second time that day. Was it possible this was human meat? The monks were all looking at her, stupid grins on their faces.

"I'm going to the bathroom. Wherever that is…" With that, she spun around and rushed out of the room.

"Dammit! Don't the bad guys ever have to pee?"

The bathroom was proving difficult to find, and Ashley had spent half an hour wandering around, the sky becoming darker and darker. Finally, giving up, she decided to get some fresh air. She opened a door to a long hallway. It was freezing cold, several of the windows were smashed and the red curtains billowing in the wind.

"Sheesh, this place is a real fixer-upper."

Rubbing her arms, she walked to the end of the hall, and towards a window that wasn't broken, but wasn't closed either. Looking out, she saw that it led to a balcony overlooking a huge black pit. Ah well. Better than nothing. She climbed out, the cool wind hitting her exposed skin. She realised there was another level to the balcony, and she climbed up a rusting ladder onto it.

The cold bit into her, and placing her hands onto the bitter stone of the wall, she bent her head in an attempt to form a plan. What would Leon do? She snorted. He'd probably find a way to get her out of this mess and blow all the bad guys up, then as an encore, bring all the dead people to life and restore peace and harmony to this place. There was no way she could even do the first thing, it seemed all she could do was get captured and scream Leon's name. She couldn't even fire a gun; she wasn't a hero like him.

A slow tear trickled down her cheek, causing an unwelcome line of warmth.

"Pssst…hey! Señorita! Ashley!"

Ashley whirled round, looking for the source of the strangely familiar voice. A figure was crouched on the roof, the closing darkness obscuring his face.

"What? Who is that?"

The figure dropped onto the balcony, making Ashley back away a little. She gasped in shock when she recognised who was gracing her with his presence. The last time she had seen him…

_Leon was talking to Salazar on the transceiver while she hung back, feeling slightly proud of herself for solving the puzzle and outwitting the Armaduras. Looking around the spacious hall, she saw a body lying in a pool of blood but dismissed it as another enemy Leon had managed to defeat. _

"…_through your own actions."_

_With the conversation closed, Leon began to lead Ashley out of the room. She noticed him become rigid as they reached the body. Still not able to make out the features yet, she attempted to lighten Leon's depressed mood._

"_That must have been one good shot Leon. Riot gun, right?" Then she frowned. "Why isn't it turning to dust like the others?"_

_Leon stopped. His fists curled at his sides, and he stared straight ahead not looking at Ashley or the body._

"_Ashley," he whispered, his voice strained. "Do you not see who that is?"_

_Ashley pushed past Leon towards the body. She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes filling with tears._

"_L-Luis?"_

_The handsome Spaniard's face was distorted with pain, his ringed hands limp on his chest, attempting to cover the gaping hole that was still leaking blood. Bits of bone jutted from the wound, and Ashley turned away in revulsion. A comforting hand was placed on her shoulder._

"_You okay?"_

_She turned to face Leon, her face shining with tears that were now flowing freely. She threw her arms around him, and buried her face into his shirt._

Yet here he stood, as alive and as attractive as when they first met. Also, minus the major chest injury. Luis Sera cocked his head, his dark hair being whisked around by the wind. Death, she noticed, hadn't changed him a bit. He still grinned confidently, and seemed to focus his attention more on her upper body.

"Luis?"

"Huh? What?"

"How come you're alive? And I thought you wanted to talk to me, instead of staring at my breasts again."

Luis sighed disappointedly, and switched his gaze to her face. His eyes contained sadness and shame behind the childish disguise, and he nervously pulled at the black leather jacket he was now wearing.

"I am alive because… someone managed to find my body before the Ganado did. They brought me back, with a large amount of skill."

Ashley moved a little closer, dying to ask.

"So? What's heaven like?"

Luis's grief was now extremely prominent, and he turned away, resting his hands on the wall as Ashley had done, and stared across the dark abyss, fixing his eyes on the rising moon.

"I expect it's lovely. But there's no place up there for someone like me. Hell was what I deserved, so it was Hell I got. They don't let you go mad in Hell. That would be the easy way out." His voice was bitter and Ashley immediately feet sorry for asking. The poor man must have been through so much…

Luis turned around, suddenly pasting a smile on his face.

"But hey, can't complain can I? I'm here again, that's more than most can say."

"Yeah, well you might meet one that can. Leon's here as well."

Luis genuinely grinned at this, his eyes growing wide as he remembered that very special performance held by Leon and Saddler.

"And there's something else you should know about him. Him and Saddler…well, they're not exactly enemies anymore."

"I know, I've seen enough to scar me permanently. It was like one of my many movies, only without the sound."

"Lucky you. I had nothing but sound. Anyway, enough of Leon's sex life. Why are you still here? You should get out while you can."

Luis shook his head.

"I am here for a reason. I'll tell you, but you must promise not to tell Leon, and especially Saddler."

Ashley snorted in disgust.

"The only thing I'm telling that bastard is where to go."

"Good. You don't trust Saddler, right? Well, me neither. My theory is that he is planning to re-infect Leon with a Plaga. I have to infiltrate this place, and destroy the source of the Plaga, and Saddler."

"The freaky midget-man is back as well."

"Dammit. What about Mendez?"

"I don't know. He could be, but I haven't seen him."

"If all three are alive, it will make things very difficult." He looked at Ashley and smiled. "You're going home soon, Señorita. Even if I have to take you back to America myself, I will do my best to make sure you remain safe."

Ashley grinned, and stretched up to kiss Luis on the cheek.

"That's sweet. Maybe when we get out of here, we could do some…overtime?"

Luis chuckled to cover the sorrow he felt.

_Even if I do get you out of here, you would never forgive me for what I have to do…_

"I may just take you up on that. Perhaps I could get a nice cushy job in your country as a researcher or something."

"I bet my father would give you a job. God, he'll probably give you a reward. You may never have to work again."

"Thanks, but my work is my life. If I don't have anything to do, I get bored to death. At any rate, I must be going to make my introductions. Saddler's going to be pissed off."

"Let me come with you. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you. I'll throw myself in the way if he tries anything."

Luis began to climb down the ladder, testing each of the corroded rugs.

"I would be glad of the company."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

**Yeah, Luis didn't tell Ashley the whole story…Leon is in the next chapter, not more Ashley-Luis dialogue stuff. Please R&R, but if you have anything bad to say, please say WHY it was you thought it was. 'Cause if you don't tell me, I'll never learn.**


	8. Betrayal and Betrayed

**Whew...sorry for the delay...this took ages. Thanks to the people who reviewed, and made me get off my fat ass to update, and also Snow Puff who inspired Mendez/Salazar... Anyway, please enjoy!**

Luis watched as the girl bounced down the corridors, amazed that in light of all the bad things that had happened to her, Ashley was still as plucky as ever. If he was in her place, he would've cracked and probably have gone mad already. If it wasn't for Leon, he knew she would have.

On the subject of Leon, Luis found that he was developing something for the man. Not exactly what you could call love, but there was something. However, any hopes of getting near him were smashed the second he saw him with Saddler, doing what they were doing. It had hurt him more than he'd care to admit. He'd have liked to think that a chance would have presented itself for a close friendship, maybe more if they'd had the time.

But now…Luis had sent the sample of strange yellow liquid to be analysed by Wesker and his scientists. Once they were able to replicate it, and send more to him, Leon would be his!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leon walked beside Saddler down one of the halls. There was no conversation between them, Leon still upset and confused by Saddler's suicide attempt. He was beginning to wonder if he was doing the right thing. Saddler was the one who killed Luis and made his rescue mission an utter hell. But he also healed Leon, bringing the man back from his horrific death to see another day.

Leon coughed politely in an attempt to strike up a conversation, and get rid of the awful silence. Saddler glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and Leon gave a small smile, sandy hair falling across his face.

In a split second, he was pressed against the wall, a hand round the back of his neck pushing him forward into a thrilling kiss that tasted of lust and eagerness, and the other curled around his waist. Leon pulled away after a few moments, whispering a hurried 'later', as footsteps were heard approaching.

Salazar was walking towards them, flanked by two monks who seemed to be replacing his Vurdugo in black and red robes. As he drew nearer, Leon could see a glare on the smaller man's face. One that was directed at him. Sick of Salazar and his petty feud, he responded with a scowl of his own. Saddler seemed oblivious to the rivalry between the two, and smiled at the approaching man.

"Ramon. Any news?"

Salazar instantly stopped trying to out-stare Leon, and glanced up at the priest.

" We have around seventy Ganado ordered to repair things here." He looked hard at Leon again. "Like the gaping holes in a few important rooms where walls used to be!" Leon widened his eyes innocently and moved closer to Saddler, resting his head against the older man's shoulder.

Saddler nodded, and gave orders in Spanish to the two monks beside Salazar. They bowed and walked away. The small man watched them go, and then turned back to Leon and Saddler.

"My Lord, may I suggest we go somewhere more comfortable and talk? I have a few questions about what our future plans are."

Saddler inclined his head and they started to walk after Salazar, not noticing the two figures peering around the corner behind them.

---------------------------------------------------

Once they found a room that Leon hadn't managed to destroy, the trio sat on comfortable, if not fairly old, furniture. Saddler and Leon positioned themselves on a small couch and commenced to wrap themselves around each other, cooing and nuzzling, much to the irritation of Salazar. Leon had climbed onto Saddler's lap and begun to snuggle into his robes, purring sleepily.

-------------------------------------------------

Salazar was infuriated by the level of affection his master showed the American rat. This was going against everything they stood for! All those times he had insulted America and its people- and now he was taking one to bed?

_Although I shouldn't blame him…he wasn't the one who killed Bitores…_

Salazar was filled with painful memories as he watched Leon and Saddler openly canoodle, recalling moments when he did that and more with someone…

_It was a warm night, and the open window provided a breeze that blew lightly across the bodies of two figures lying on a bed. Salazar shifted slightly in Mendez's arms to let the air wash over most of his hot body, sighing as it soothed his skin. Mendez grunted as he felt the smaller man move and rolled onto his back, wincing as overused muscles ached. The full moon bathed them in soft, silvery light that had been the only way to study their previous actions._

_He gave a contented murmur, revelling in the silence that followed their passionate lovemaking, and turned to look at his bed companion._

_Ramon's eyes were closed and his long silver hair was splayed out on the pillow. To Bitores, he looked perfect in the moonlight._

"_Do you think he knows?" Ramon quietly voiced out what he had been thinking all along._

"_Hmm?"_

"_Lord Saddler. Does he know?"_

_Bitores moved to put his hand on Ramon's shoulders, and allowed the smaller man to rest his head on his thick arm._

"_He may have guessed. However, I do not think he will mind that much. He rarely interferes in our personal affairs, why should he start now?"_

_Ramon fidgeted and pulled at some of the wet hairs on Bitores' lower chest distractedly. _

"_But we've never done this before. Can he see us- in his head I mean? I know he can sometimes. But do you think he saw...what we were doing?"_

"_Like Santa?"_

_Ramon lifted his head to look at Bitores in surprise._

"_Santa?"_

_The taller man scratched his head in embarrassment, searching for the right definition._

"_It's some sort of belief I think. Parents tell their children that a fat man dressed in a red suit will give them gifts on Christmas day, and can see what people do all year."_

_Ramon shrugged in bafflement, and laid back down to kiss Bitores' neck, the giant moaning in satisfaction. _

"_Maybe he saw us." He said in an even more husky voice than usual. "Maybe he's watching right now."_

_His lips met Bitores' again in a lustful kiss, and shivered in delight as he felt the older man's hands trace patterns on his pale skin, immensely grateful that size, in any form, was not an issue here. All he saw in Bitores' single eye was love for him; care and devotion. And he would repay the kindness in any way he could._

Salazar blinked back tears and swallowed the lump in his throat, grateful that Saddler and Leon were too busy with each other to give him a glance.

The door opened slowly and they all turned towards it, expecting to see a monk or Ganado enter the room. Instead, a pretty pissed-off blond sauntered into the room, throwing filthy looks at Saddler and Salazar and then quickly changing her expression to give Leon a smile. Leon jumped off Saddler's lap and ran up to Ashley, embracing her. Saddler rolled his eyes in disgust, then widened them in shock as Luis Sera himself walked into the room.

"Luis?" Leon stared in astonishment as the researcher grinned cockily at his small audience.

"Si Leon." He held out his arms. "What? Can't a resurrected guy get a hug any more?"

Leon hesitated for a split second to glance over at Saddler, who still seemed to be in shock. Luis was standing with an open look of expectation on his face that was gradually turning into slight hurt as the seconds wore on.

_Leon...please...come on..._

Finally, Leon walked up to Luis. He threw his arms around him and held him close, inhaling the slightly spicy scent that accompanied the Spaniard. Luis grinned and nuzzled into Leon's neck. An inhuman growl rose from Saddler, and he strode over to pull the American and the researcher apart, spinning Leon to face him, and steering his attention from Luis by capturing his lips in a jealous kiss, much to the mutual disapproval of Salazar and Ashley.

Luis' handsome face was twisted in fury for a brief second, before he managed to compose it into an look of indifference. He shrugged as Saddler broke contact with Leon to mouth the word 'mine' over his shoulder.

"Well, it looks like some things have been happening since I've been...away."

Leon turned back to Luis guiltily.

"Yeah. There are some important things you have to know about."

Luis looked at him for a split-second before turning his attention to Saddler.

"I'm not sure whether you've asked Leon, but I'm quite interested to know what _he _has in store for America now."

There was silence for a moment, before everyone turned to look at Saddler, who stared back at Luis evenly.

"What I'm interested to know Sera, is how you are here and not rotting against the castle wall."

Luis raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"I asked first." He glanced at Leon. "Unless you are unwilling to share your ideas for world domination in front of your lover."

Leon stared at the ground, afraid of what he might hear coming from either mouth.

"I'm tired," he blurted out. "Can't we discuss this tomorrow?"

Ashley agreed with a convincing yawn. Saddler stroked Leon's hair affectionately as the agent stared at him.

"I want to go to bed," he muttered, but in an undertone that only Saddler could hear he added: "with you." Saddler looked intrigued, and told Salazar to find Ashley a room.

"But not too comfortable. And with minimum sheets on the bed, obviously" he deadpanned. Ashley was too tired to make a comeback, so she merely glared.

Soon, it was only Luis left with them in the room

"And where do I sleep?" He asked as Saddler and Leon pushed past him. Saddler gave him a look of pure loathing.

"Same place as last time."

Leon met Luis' eyes for a brief moment,an apology in his bright blue depths. As soon as they had walked out of the door, Luis cursed.

"Come on Wesker, hurry up with that shit..."

-------------------------------------------------------

Leon had followed Saddler down many more halls and he really was starting to feel tired. At last, they came to a room that Leon had recognized on his way through the castle before, although it had been firmly locked, and no key he could find opened it. Saddler fished out a Los Illuminados pendant from around his neck, and pushed it into a concealed indentation on the wall beside the door.

_Oh, duh..._

They entered the room and Leon gazed around, taking careful note of the large four-poster bed which he had no doubt would come in handy in a few minutes. Unlike most of the rooms at the castle this one was not covered in ancient portraits, but Los Illuminados insignias and a few mounted weapons. It also had a very clean feel to it that Leon was relieved about. Saddler saw Leon looking, and smiled.

"My room."

Well, that explained the purple sheets on the bed and all the insignias. The room, now that he knew, did seem to reflect Saddler's personality somewhat.

He was dimly aware of Saddler locking the door behind them and before he could wonder on this, he was led to the bed. The sheets were soft and warm and Leon lay down, snuggling into the comfortable blankets. Saddler stood beside the bed, grinning at him.

"Who's my horny Plaga boy?" He ran a finger down the side of Leon's face sensually. Leon hid a smile, and pretended to yawn.

"Actually, I really am tired. Can we leave the sex for later?" He gave a innocent wide-eyed look, silently laughing at the dismayed and lustful expression on the priest's face. Saddler growled playfully, and loosened his robes, letting them fall to the floor and showing Leon exactly how aroused he was.

"I'm afraid Leon, that waiting any longer will inspire me to do something vulgar and indecent to that beautiful body of yours."

Leon sighed with disappointment as he slowly began to remove his own clothes.

"Shame. I was looking forward to you indecently molesting me. Now I guess we'll just have to have plain, boring sex."

"Mi amor, sex with you is never boring."

Saddler lay on the bed next to Leon and kissed him passionately, winding his hands through dark blond hair. Neither had forgotten what the other tasted like, and they delighted in expressing their feeling once again. They stopped as soon as they realised that kissing simply wasn't enough.

Leon's now-dark eyes gleamed in excitement as he pressed his naked body against Saddler's; raw imagination feeding him with a variety of perverse fantasies, each one making him whimper in lust. The atmosphere was heating up, as was the air under the sheets of the bed. A gentle hand ghosted across Leon's skin, finally reaching its destination of his thighs. His breathing stopped as a slick finger slid down his spine...and then even further. He clung tightly to Saddler, a ball of intermingled love and desire in his chest so tight that it hurt. Leon knew there was only one way to make the pain go away...

----------------------------------------------------

Luis was sitting slumped outside the locked door of Saddler's room, head in his hands. When occasional noises of pleasure reached him from inside the room, he would flinch as if physically hurt. Intermittent tears dripped from his eyes and he quickly wiped them away with the heel of his hand.

The noises got louder and Luis covered his ears, gritting his teeth. The tears were accompanied by silence no longer and the Spaniard let out small sobs of defeat, whispering threats under each heave his body made.

--------------------------------------------------

Salazar walked down the hall that led past Saddler's room, muttering under his breath. As he walked nearer, he heard the moaning and murmured names coming from within. Preparing to glare at the door in disgust, he was surprised to see Luis sitting with his back to it, obviously crying. As the Spaniard realised someone was watching, he looked up in panic and scrambled to his feet. Salazar smirked cruelly as he passed, ignoring Luis completely. He had more important things that needed his attention and had no time for a heartbroken Spaniard.

Eventually, his walk led him to the room where Leon had 'killed' him. The goo had dried on the walls, and covered the plant-like Plaga in a thin layer. Wiping some off with his sleeve, Salazar then ran his fingers lightly over the slimy tentacle which twitched at his touch. Smiling slightly, he quickly connected his thoughts to it. Tears crept into his eyes as the Plaga unwittingly brought more memories into his mind.

_-Bitores' laugh echoed around the room. A genuine laugh full of emotion. Only Ramon could make him laugh like that..._

_-They walked together through the empty village, all the occupants currently attending a church ceremony held by Lord Saddler. Therefore, the pair had free access to all houses and the beds inside. They grinned at each other. Perfect._

_-A final scream of pain, one last torment. His throat was bloodied from bellowing and he saw in horror the blood fountaining from his open mouth. He shuddered, brain throwing out an image of a short man whose name he couldn't quite remember, couldn't quite grasp..._

_He gave a small whine as his heart stopped in his chest, too tired to be scared or feel pain. He just wished he could remember..._

Ramon managed to keep standing even though he was shaking all over. Bitores' last thoughts had brought back the lump in his throat and made the pain in his heart worse.

_Soon mi amor...soon we'll be together again..._


	9. The Prince and the Plaga

**Yes. Thanks to jeanpaul, Snow Puff and WitchbladeHell for reviewing, just remember, find anything wrong/could be improved, please tell me. 'Cause I need to improve. Just...be nice...**

**Co-written and beta'd by my girlfriend. 3.**

**I used Google translator as well, quite a bit of Spanish in this chapter.**

**Warnings: Assault **

Ada paled as she held the radio to her ear. Wesker's orders made her blood freeze but her heart was suddenly working overtime. After she had pushed that button, after she had spent these past few days crying for him, she harbored a secret hope that he was alive. That he had made it out by the skin of his teeth, as he did in Raccoon City. She could just imagine him coming up with some plan to survive, in fact, she relied on these fantasies to keep her going.

But now it was painfully real. Leon was alive. She desperately wanted a chance to talk to him, to ask- no, _beg _his forgiveness.

"Miss Wong. Are your orders understood?" Wesker's cold, military-sounding voice burst through the static on the radio, jerking Ada out of her musing.

"Uh, sure. Take the replication of sample P-375 to Luis Sera." She faltered, hoping Wesker had forgotten the rest.

"And?" No such luck.

"Avoid all contact with infected, especially...especially Leon and Saddler. After Luis has received P-3, I am to leave immediately."

She could almost sense Wesker nod in approval on the other side.

"Good. Now, from what I gathered from Sera, Kennedy seems to be infatuated with Saddler – they appear to have formed a sexual relationship, which complicates things."

Ada snarled into the mouthpiece of the radio, clenching her hand tightly around the metal.

"Leon's no fag!" she hissed violently, shaking. Wesker gave a quiet laugh, amused by Ada's rage.

"Well Miss Wong, the last time I checked the files, it clearly stated that Saddler is male. If Leon is having sex with him, then I am afraid that he is."

Ada trembled in anger, enraged that Saddler had dared to _touch _Leon, let alone had sex with him! With a noise of disgust, she flipped the radio shut. Making her way to the nearest Umbrella helipad in her black stealth gear, she made sure that there was plenty of the P-3 serum in her attaché case, vowing that if she got the chance then she would pump Saddler's veins full of it before she left Spain.

-------------------------------------------

When Leon woke later, it was still dark. Saddler's arms were wrapped around him protectively, the older man's naked body still pressed against him. Having not eaten anything for hours, Leon's stomach growled uncomfortably. He prised himself from Saddler's grip then sat up, the bedsheets falling to his waist, and looked over to the still-sleeping priest beside him. Saddler had a small smile on his lips despite evidence of Leon's uncontained passion marked on his shoulders and neck. Leon's hand went to his own throat, gently tracing bruised bite-marks that were created at the height of pleasure.

His stomach again protested against his reminiscing and he leaned over to carefully prod his lover awake. Saddler grunted and swatted Leon's hand away, but stayed asleep. Leon rolled his eyes and slipped quietly out of the bed, taking the Los Illuminados pendant off a wooden nightstand. He silently padded across the floor, picking up various items of his clothing to ward off the chill in the air.

He silently opened the door, foot nudging against a dark bundle on the ground.

"Luis?"

The bundle mumbled sleepily, before red-rimmed eyes met his own. Leon crouched beside Luis, gently reaching around him to place a hand on the Spaniard's shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

Luis clutched at Leon's shirt and buried his head into the cop's shoulder.

"What's wrong? Everything is wrong Leon!" he sobbed into the shirt, leaving damp trails on the dark material. Leon looked helplessly back at the door.

"Listen Luis...if this is about earlier- if this is about me and Saddler..."

"No Leon, it's not just about that." Luis looked up, dark eyes locked with Leon's. "I can't tell what you what this is all about, I doubt you would believe me if I did."

Leon was curious, but forcing the Spaniard to indulge in painful information seemed cruel to him. He merely smiled and tugged Luis to his feet. Luis swayed and clung onto Leon, curling his fingers into the cop's shoulder.

"Where are we going?" Luis slurred, almost tripping over his own feet in a state of drowsiness. Leon's stomach chose that moment to growl again, and Leon rolled his eyes.

"Food. My god dammed stomach hasn't stopped complaining since I woke up. And I haven't-"

Leon found his lips captured by another pair and felt a rough tongue sliding over the tip of his own. He was so completely caught off guard, that the kisser had a good few seconds to get a firmer grip and explore his mouth. Leon closed his eyes, the passionate and harsh kiss reminding him so much of Saddler's. Remembering Saddler, he thought back to the previous night and the feelings of love and beauty that radiated from the man on top of him, and the _many_ arousing kisses they shared. Yet, the attractive Spaniard currently assailing his mouth was not exactly someone that Leon would throw off in disgust either.

Leon allowed Luis a few more seconds of forbidden pleasure, relaxing his mouth and participating slightly in the kiss. He gently pulled away after a few moments, letting his lips slide off the Spaniard's. Luis allowed the kiss to be broken, seemingly knowing that his time was up. Without a word spoken they separated, taking a step away from each other and looked at the floor, embarrassed.

Leon cleared his throat and, avoiding Luis' gaze, took a deep breath.

"Luis...uh...do you happen to know where the kitchens are?" Luis gave a cheeky grin, beckoning with a jeweled finger.

"This way, _amor_..."

------------------------------------------------

Deep in the bowels of the castle, completely unnoticed and unanticipated by those above, a room was being prepared. Sharp blades glittered as they hung from a wall; reflecting the single bright light swinging in the center of the room. Directly below this light was an operating table that'd had more than a fair share of modifications. Metal straps were placed at various points to restrain any particularly strong occupants and coming off the sides were assorted tools that one might associate more with an abattoir than a hospital.

Salazar's narrowed eyes followed various zealots as they obeyed the orders he gave them. These Ganado were more loyal to him than Saddler, residing in the castle with the Castallan long before the priest had corrupted them. Each time they finished a task, the monks would trundle back to the shorter man, still murmuring their disturbing phrases, to bow before him and be issued with more orders.

Even as he planned, his face held no trace of a smile or evil grin. Yellow eyes were filled with sadness and he closed them frequently. When every conceivable task was done, he motioned for two Ganado to follow him, and started his journey towards the village.

------------------------------------------------

Saddler stretched on the bed, eyes still closed. His shoulders, neck, arms and thighs all ached considerably, but he didn't care. Leon had really taken it out of him last night, and every second of pleasure was worth the pain. He rolled over to embrace Leon, only to find out that his lover was missing. Saddler grunted in surprise and sat up, scanning the room for any trace of the American. The door had been opened so Saddler clothed himself and set off to find Leon.

-----------------------------------------------

Luis led Leon through the room where the long tables were set out neatly, ready should anyone of any importance want to sit and eat. They went through a door to the right, Luis playfully pinging the silver bell as they passed. Leon stood for a moment and watched as the painting flipped over, red wine running downwards in a permanent stain. Luis waited for Leon to stop staring before gently clutching the front of his top and pulling him into the kitchen.

The kitchen seemed fairly large. To Leon's surprise, it was equipped with an oven and an old fridge. He was grateful that, unlike the island, no food lay rotting or strewn around on the floor. There was a table in the middle with chopping boards and various knifes placed on it. To the left, was a walk-in freezer with a clear, thick door. Beyond it, Leon could see a few pig and cow carcasses hanging by the back legs on hooks.

Luis surveyed the room with a critical eye, peering through cupboards and looking through jars on a shelf.

"Well," he began. "It looks like you've killed all of the kitchen staff, so we'll have to cook our own food."

Leon glanced around as three monks burst into the room, stupid grins on their faces, obviously as hungry as the pair. Luis nudged Leon, smiling.

"I know how we can get dinner... tell them to cook it."

"What? No!"

"They'll do it. After all, you are having sex with their boss."

Leon's cheeks turned red and he stuttered, embarrassed. Luis took over, and spoke to the zealots in Spanish.

"Él desea tú a cocinar el alimento." _He wants you to make the food._

The monks grumbled to themselves, but gave Leon a resentful bow, and started to wander around the kitchen, gathering diverse foods and setting to work.

"What exactly did you say to them Luis?"

"I just told them to make us some food, y'know?"

"Hey, we could make our own, Luis. I don't like taking advantage of my...position."

Luis shrugged, and chucked an onion to a monk.

"I sure as hell can't cook. In Madrid, I just used to get up on a morning and grab breakfast at the nearest café."

Leon walked up to the nearest monk, and placed a hand on its shoulder.

"I know you can't understand me," he said in a loud voice. "But I really appreciate what you're doing."

The zealot paused, looking confused.

"¿Qué dijiste?" _What did you say?_

Luis chuckled devilishly.

"Él desea tú a prisa." _He wants you to hurry._

The monk immediately doubled his speed, rushing to the freezer, and returning with a hunk of beef. Leon and Luis watched the trio efficiently work. Leon wondered if Saddler ever kicked them around; they seemed very handy, and almost polite to him.

-----------------------------------------------

_One hour later..._

Salazar arrived with his zealots at the storage house a little later than he'd anticipated. Although it wasn't raining anymore, it was dark and the ground was muddy and slippery.

The warehouse was now a blackened shell of what it used to be, no doubt burned during Bitores' struggle with Leon. He stood quietly for a moment, hand pressed against the closed rusty door. Gritting his teeth, he tried to push it open.

_Bitores threw the American agent against the beam. He growled and turned around, twisting the handles of the door should the cop try and foolishly escape. He could always untangle them to get out once he had defeated this blasted American menace. _

Salazar walked around to the side of the warehouse to where a large hole had been burnt, the exit of that American. At first, he was afraid. Afraid that he would break down, that Bitores' body would be too mutilated for him to stand. But mostly, he was scared that they wouldn't find anything. That the corpse had eventually turned to dust, like the other Ganado.

He stepped through the hole straining to see through the gloom. Snatching a burning torch from a monk, he raised it and walked forward. The light threw shadows of charred wood and distorted metal onto any section of wall that wasn't destroyed.

Seeing a dark shape on the floor, he hurried over. Bitores lay face down on the dusty floor, his extra limbs as uselessly limp and slumped as he was. Blood was everywhere, dry and encrusted, coating almost every inch of his remaining upper body. His lower half lay a few meters away, a few inches of small spikes attached to the protruding vertebrae. Salazar dropped to his knees beside the body, distressed. Mindless of the grime and blood that stained his clothes, he cradled Bitores' broken skull on his lap, bowing his head to hide his tears. He stroked his pale fingers down the side of the dead man's face and used his sleeve to try and wipe off the dried blood. The zealots dithered helplessly, unsure of how to deal with their master's suffering.

Eventually, a monk plucked up the courage to pat Salazar awkwardly on the shoulder. The Castallan sniffed and carefully lowered Bitores' head onto the ground. He stood up and gave orders to take both parts of his lover up to the castle.

He stared, mesmerized, at the pool of blood where Bitores had lain just moments before. Turning, he watched as the monks carried the tarpaulin-covered body out of the warehouse before following himself. If they left this any longer, then his plan wouldn't work. The sooner they got this done, the better.

----------------------------------------------------

"So, instead of leaving with the pretty woman I intended, I ended up leaving with some pretty guy."

"And how old were you?"

"Eighteen."

Luis and Leon were sat opposite each other on one of the long tables. The three monks sat next to Luis, happily tucking into their meals. Leon had already finished his food, and was busying himself by alternately asking Luis about his past, and stealing food off his plate.

After a while, Luis began to fidget and kept looking towards the door.

"Listen Leon, I have to go. You can find your way back from here, sí?"

He stood up and pushed the chair away, watching Leon intently.

"Uh, well sure. I guess..."

Luis grinned, leaning over the table.

"Bueno. I'll see you later then, amor."

Leon winced at _amor_, but was slow to catch signs of Luis' growing lust. Strong hands caught the side of his head, and he was pulled towards the Spaniard from across the table. His lips were pressed against Luis' once more, but now he had the presence of mind to shove the other ex-cop away before the kiss deepened further. He glared at Luis who was panting, eyes tainted with desire.

"Leon, I need-"

Leon interrupted Luis' pleading with a growl. The Spaniard backed away at this, a pained expression on his face. The three monks had stood at Leon's threat, and were now ushering Luis out of the room. Leon put his hands over his face, and didn't remove them until he heard the door close.

The three monks were looking concerned, and wandered over to the American. The monk that Leon recognized as the leader of the trio with slightly more elaborate robes than the other two placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"Amo?"

Leon suddenly felt incredibly guilty.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Thanks, I mean, gracias."

The monks bowed and, as Leon got up to leave, insisted on accompanying him. Leon grinned, grateful for the company.

As they were walking down one of the hallways, the monks were talking with each other. It was impossible for Leon to know what the topic of conversation was, but it seemed to be light- hearted, with the three almost constantly chuckling. They immediately stopped when, rounding a corner, they almost walked into a band of red-robed zealots, with a leader wearing purple robes at the front. The other monks wielded maces, while he carried a crossbow.

Leon's group seemed as nervous as he did. Attempting to shuffle past, they found their way blocked; the hostile gang seemed to be taking up the whole length of the hallway for a reason.

The purple-robed zealot stretched out a hand, eyes glinting beneath his purple hood.

"Tomar a extranjero. Matar al resto." _Take the foreigner. Kill the rest._

The monks next to Leon began to back away, shaking their heads and speaking rapidly in Spanish.

"What? What did he say?"

A crossbow bolt whizzed through the air, embedding itself in the throat of one of Leon's companions. Leon cried out as the monk sank to the floor, gurgling. With that, the rest of the zealots closed in, maces lashing out into the faces of the other two monks. Reeling back, noses and mouths bleeding severely, they were pursued by more maces. One was caught on the side of the jaw, and Leon heard a sickly cracking noise. The other was killed outright when a sheep-skull wearing zealot brought his mace downwards into his forehead. Leon's first thought was to run, but it seemed that he was a step behind these violent monks when another group appeared behind him. He growled, completely surrounded.

Not being able to face all the zealots at once, it hardly came as a surprise when he felt something catch him sharply in the small of his back with force. More blows rained down after that, and Leon was still desperately trying to find a way out.

_Just...grow claws or something you idiot!_

Leon tried to listen to the voice in his head, but it was hard to concentrate when the bruising hits became bloody. He wished that Saddler was there, he wished that Luis was there. Hell, he even wished that the small, annoying Salazar would show up!

Leon was hoisted to his feet, still being jabbed and smacked by the monks. The purple-robed leader grabbed a mace off one of the lesser monks and Leon just knew he was grinning beneath his hood. The watching others were silent. It seemed so slow, the monk swinging the mace over his head. Leon woozily followed its progress through the air, knowing that this was going to hurt but not having the strength to do anything about it.

The zealot extended his arm, the mace catching Leon on the side of the head. The force was such, that he was thrown out of the arms of the monk behind him, and crashed to the floor.

There was blackness, although he knew he was still conscious. The marble under his fingers was cold, but under his cheek it was warm and sticky. Something dripped down his brow and onto his cheek. He gasped for air, tasting blood in his mouth, swallowing it. God, there was so much...

Giving in seemed like the obvious choice. It hurt so bad, and he just wanted it to end. He closed his sightless eyes and just let himself slip away, mouth forming a word that even he wasn't sure was.


	10. Remembrance

**Thankies once again to the beautiful people who reviewed. I think I may have messed this chapter up narration-wise. Please tell me if I did, and if it seems confusing as shit. Anyway, here's some crap for ya about Salazar's past, as well as disturbing sex education references. Oh, and there's death, sex (of course) and puppies. Not too much puppies, but still. Enjoy! **

_Would you like me to tell you a story, Mr. Kennedy? It's about a young boy…_

_The boy was happy, because he had everything. A big castle, two loving parents and the whole Spanish countryside to play in. He could do anything he wanted, still uncorrupted by the sins that afflict adults, full of childish innocence. All day long, he would explore the castle and its grounds, sometimes accompanying his father down to the village to speak with the locals and sometimes having lessons with his tutor, mostly about the history of the region._

_He was a kind boy, full of life, undaunted by his stunted growth. But his parents were worried, and he could hear them talking. All night long, when they thought he was asleep, talking about things he didn't understand: The 'Los Illuminados' and 'Plagas'._

_The illuminated and a plague? It didn't make sense to him then. So he went about his everyday life, ignoring the anxious looks from his peers. _

_Unfortunately, Mr. Kennedy, his days of freedom and happiness were short lived. You should know as well as anybody that your life can change in a matter of days, a matter of hours. But not only was the boy's life changed, it was turned upside-down. Everything he ever loved or cared about was taken away._

_It all started when he was about fourteen years old. His parents had gone down to the village, concerned about something happening in a distant country. He didn't really care what it was, he just understood that he would be alone, save for the dozen monks that followed him around. It was raining and the sky was ominously dark. The boy stayed inside the castle, keeping watch over a tiny wolf pup that his father had found abandoned the previous day and given to him to look after. He carried it everywhere; enjoying the softness of its fur and the small squeaks it made when hungry then put it in with a good-tempered nursing bitch. _

_After the day had almost passed, and when what little light there was began to fade, the boy grew concerned. His parents were not yet back, and his mother had promised that they would only be gone a few hours. He asked around the castle, but none of the zealots had seen them. He was not unduly worried; they may have drunk too much wine with Chief Mendez and decided to stay the night, but he did have a strange feeling of uneasiness._

_He slept in his bed, where the feeling pursued him and invaded his dreams. Images danced through his head of pain and loss, sorrow and hate. He woke late the next day with the fragmented feelings clinging to him. He got up and dressed, confused as to why his entourage of monks were not there to assist him._

_Walking out into the hallway, he could not see anyone, or hear anything but his own scared breathing. He called out nervously down the hall, his voice echoing eerily off the walls. He was suddenly startled when a loud moaning noise rose from behind him. It was a collective howl of all the guard dogs in the maze, and the boy's heart dropped in his chest. He knew, from the tales his tutor had told him, that if all the family dogs howled together…_

_He rushed to the maze, almost falling on the wet, slippery stone. He stood on the balcony overlooking the hedges and cages and screamed for silence from the dogs, pleading with them to stop. However, they persisted and howled even louder, drowning out his shrieks. He hurried down the steps, and followed the twists and turns until he came to a cage. The three dogs inside were all adding their voices to the chaotic chorus until they spied him approaching and fell silent. The cage was unlocked with a key from his breast pocket, and he slowly opened the door. The dogs came forward and licked his hands gently; none of them scooting past to run around the hedge maze as they usually did._

_He was so engrossed in the tending of his dogs that he didn't sense a person behind him until they gripped his shoulder. Turning, he was faced with a stranger who introduced himself as Osmund Saddler. This 'Saddler' person stated that there had been an accident, and the boy had to follow him. He agreed, but ordered the dogs to come with them, as he didn't trust the older man._

_They walked through the halls in silence, Saddler in front, and the three dogs and the boy trailing behind. Eventually, he had to ask._

_He was told that his parents never made it to the village. His mother had slipped on the wet planks of a walkway near the church and, unconscious, had fallen into the lake. His father had dived in to try and save her, but, being unable to swim, was pulled under. They drowned alongside each other. Their bodies had been found by a search party after they failed to reach the village, his father's hand still gripping his mother's._

_The boy stayed silent, tears of grief and pride running down his cheeks. Saddler kept talking, saying that everyone had departed to the family vault, and were waiting for him there. Waiting…so they could say their goodbyes, and then the bodies would have to be prepared for burial. _

_He sounded very calm as he said this, and the boy resisted setting the dogs on him. The tears were still streaming, and he fought hard to make them stop. The pain in his heart grew with each step, knowing that his parents would never walk these halls again._

_After a while, they reached the vault. Lots of people were already there, and the boy recognized Chief Mendez, as well as some of the villagers, along with what seemed like all the zealots in the castle. There were so many, that they filled the tunnels that led to the vault. However, they soon made space as the boy strode angrily behind the stranger. Why angrily? Well, he would rather face his people with an angry visage than a red-eyed snivelling one. _

_Saddler led him into the small, two-story building Chief Mendez following behind. On a short stone table in the lower level lay his parents, their clothes sodden and their faces pale. They seemed so…peaceful, and had he not known better, he could have sworn they were sleeping. He was vaguely aware of Chief Mendez quietly questioning the stranger, Saddler, but was so involved with his parents, that he didn't care what was being said. _

_Carefully, the boy brushed a clinging hair away from his mother's forehead, and allowed a few more silent tears to fall. The pale dress she always wore was ripped and smeared with mud, although her face still retained its look of dignity and beauty, even in death. His father still appeared majestic and regal, purple apparel slightly darker due to the water. No matter what happened, no matter how much it hurt, he would not break down. Not in front of Chief Mendez and this stranger, not in front of all the people outside of that small construction wishing to pay their respects. _

_The stranger and Chief Mendez were talking about this being a 'terrible tragedy' and asking questions like how the boy was 'going to cope'. He heard this last part, uttered by the stranger, and fiercely defended himself by replying that he was of noble birth, and would cope with it the way his parents would have wanted, without making a spectacle of himself. He walked up the stairs to the second floor of the building, leaving Mendez and Saddler to stare after him. He gazed out through one of the big holes that served as windows, over the mixed sea of mingling monks and villagers. They were all talking among themselves, or at least, the villagers were. The monks were muttering various phrases, 'Morir es vivir' being the most popular._

_When they saw him however, all talking and chanting stopped. The boy felt pity-filled eyes on him, a few of the more sentimental female villagers openly weeping with sympathy. He opened his mouth to speak, but found his throat blocked by a lump that refused to subside. Feeling like a fool, he turned and walked past Saddler and Mendez who were standing behind him, down to where his parents lay. _

_He studied the faces of his parents for one last time, absorbing and storing every detail deep inside his mind, where he could always find them. He heard Mendez speaking to the crowd, saying that this had brought them all together. The boy sniffed. He had never felt so isolated in his life. In the space of a few hours, two of the few people he trusted had died. _

_The funeral was to be held later that day, so most of the villagers went to change into something black. The monks were either already dressed in black, or considered their religious garb appropriate. Some of them came into the building to help prepare the bodies. The boy, Chief Mendez and Saddler waited upstairs. Chief Mendez had to lean against the wall, but the other two were able to sit on the chairs. Apart from the quiet rumble of conversation outside, there was an uncomfortable silence between the three. Mendez looked as though he was ready to shed tears at any moment, as was the boy, although a couple had already slipped down his cheek. Saddler looked embarrassed at turning up at such an awkward time. _

_Mendez crouched beside where the boy was sitting. He didn't speak, but his mere presence was enough to slightly calm the boy. Saddler watched with interest as the boy grazed the giant's cheek with his lips, silently thanking him for being there._

_It was time for the funeral. His father's body was draped in a black veil, and was carried down into the small chamber by Chief Mendez. A white veil covered his mother, and she was taken down to lie beside her husband in the small tomb made for family members._

_All the monks and most of the villagers were praying, and so the three standing were compelled to mentally do so._

_After everything had happened, and after everybody had left, the three still remained. Mendez invited the boy back to his, and then, after a while, asked Saddler. The boy agreed immediately. This place made him feel claustrophobic, and besides, his parents had trusted the village chief, so he must trust him also. Saddler nodded, and the three made their way down to the village._

_&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&_

_A few years passed, and Ramon Salazar was eighteen. So much had happened; Saddler had bought the island nearby and was hiring mercenaries to guard it. He also arranged to have the earth under the castle mined using the villagers as a workforce. He showed Salazar what he was looking for, using pictures in some of the old books in the castle's library. It was a tentacled parasite-thing, apparently called a 'Plagas'. Salazar shivered as he recalled his parents whispering about it many years ago. Immediately, a cold sensation snuck up his spine and across his shoulders. He had a bad feeling about this. However, he reasoned, if Saddler was talking about 'mining' these things, then it was likely that the man just wanted some fossils to examine. He had claimed beforehand that he was a researcher as well as a priest, and had even introduced Salazar to a man native to the village, Luis Sera, also a researcher. _

_Mendez seemed to take well to the fact that Saddler was a priest, and he and the older man had set about rebuilding the old church on the hill near the village, and between them, they held sermons for the villagers._

_Mendez had looked out for Salazar ever since the loss of his parents, and one night, deemed him old enough to drink. He had been allowed a glass of wine every so often before them, but not the amount that Mendez often drunk. They were in the chief's room, and he was having his first experience of being tipsy. Not giggling, but definitely giddy, he eventually collapsed, Mendez, as usual, catching him and lying him on the bed to gaze up at the ceiling in bewilderment. The taller man leaned down to check if he was alright, and without really thinking about it, Salazar kissed him. Both froze, realising what was happening, and pulled away, looking elsewhere in embarrassment. But then, Salazar put his small hands on the back of Mendez's head, and pulled the older man down into a proper kiss, pressing his body eagerly against the other. He had never really thought about sex except when he was alone at night sometimes, or when a particularly saucy researcher waltzed into the room, dragging along his latest affection. At least he knew how it was done; his parents had lived long enough to give him 'the talk' about men and women, but Mendez and Saddler, both being more than likely to 'swing the other way' as they put it, were happy to fill in the gaps. In Saddler's case, these gaps were filled with disturbingly vivid descriptions and some rather terrifying finger movements. At least Mendez was more sensitive, carefully explaining each stage and the sensations they would cause both men._

_Salazar struggled to remember each 'stage' as he clung stubbornly to Mendez's lips, not wanting his first proper kiss to end quite so soon. Yes…it started with kissing. Open-mouthed tongue kissing, if he remembered Saddler's lessons correctly. He slid his tongue against Mendez's, trying not to mess up too badly. The village chief tasted like chicken and the wine they had both consumed, and to Salazar's surprise, seemed to have no objection to the kiss. _

_It was broken gently as Mendez lay on the bed next to Salazar, staring guiltily at the younger man as though he had taken advantage of the situation. In an effort to reassure him, Salazar slipped a lithe hand under Mendez's shirt, enjoying the feel of another's skin beneath his fingers. Mendez's breathing became harsh, and he lay on his back as lustful hands continued raking over his skin. The fingers opened his pants, sliding inside and slowly caressing the skin there. All self-control lost, Mendez roughly pinned Salazar to the bed, enjoying the nervous but aroused gasps the smaller man made. His own hand began to explore, covering much more skin than Salazar's, and made the smaller man squeak with delight. He attempted to say something, but stopped as the giant's hand made its way down to his crotch. Mendez paused, curious as to what Salazar had tried to utter._

_Salazar took a deep breath, ignoring his arousal and passion, and murmured just three words into the heated air. Mendez was taken by surprise, not expecting that. He considered the words, and then wondered if he did reciprocate Salazar's feelings towards him. He kissed the man beneath him again; liking the way that the smaller man's body flexed against his. After a few moments of thinking, he whispered the same three words back, replacing his hand with his tongue and listened to the moans that followed the action._

_Both now eager to be rid of their clothing, they decided to undress in front of the other. Salazar squirmed out of his clothes while Mendez literally tore his off his body. Now far too cold to be on top of the covers, the two hurriedly wriggled underneath, skin brushing against skin. They shared quick kisses, both more concerned with touching the other. Mendez could feel all the tension and stress that had built up in Salazar over the years and he wanted to get rid of it all in this single night. He vowed he would._

_Sitting on the edge of the bed, he brought Salazar over to perch on his lap, the smaller man hovering above him driving him wild. He then put his dark hands on Salazar's pale hips and pulled down, gently…gently…_

_They made love three times that night, each second of pleasure releasing more anxiety and stress from Salazar's body, eventually rushing out in a stream of uncontrollable emotions, leaving him hot and limp in Mendez's arms._

"And that's it, Mr. Kennedy, we all know what happens next. You come along, shoot first and ask questions later. You had no right to take him from me!"

The first feeling that came to Leon's mind was the aching, agonizing pain in his head. It had healed a little thanks to the Plaga, but still decided to feel as though someone was jumping on it.

Leon cracked an eye open, regretting it immediately when a light seared through the thin line of vision. He winced, regretting that also, as his head stung along the back. Trying to ignore the pain, he turned his head to the side so he wouldn't be staring directly at the light. However, what he saw when he opened his eyes almost made him want to lay back and let them burn out of his head. The two halves of Bitores Mendez lay on a table next to him, so close, that he could smell the blood.

Ramon Salazar was standing next to the corpse, lovingly stroking it with his fingernails and glaring at the agent. Leon groaned and closed his eyes, letting that all-important summarizing word fall from his lips.

"Fuck."

**See you next time, kiddies:D **


	11. Penance

**Sorry for slowness... I can't think of a good excuse, so I'll just blame it on school. You know it sucks BIG TIME. Thanks to the people who were beautiful and reviewed.**

**Warnings: Kinda-sex, VERY SLIGHT blood play for you kinky buggers, gore gore gore, and general depressive-ness.**

**Enjoy! **

Salazar continued to glare at Leon, leaving the decimated corpse of his lover to stride over to the table where the agent lay. Leon tried to get up, to move away from the malicious little man, but found that his entire body seemed to be paralyzed from the neck down. He tried unsuccessfully to move each of his limbs, rolling his head around in the hopes that they were simply asleep. Salazar stared down at him, smirking, his hands coming to rest on the side of the table.

"Mr. Kennedy. I trust you have healed well enough to listen to the rest of what I have to say, and your head is not too severely damaged for me to continue."

Leon gargled something that could have been 'yes', 'no' or possibly 'fuck off'. The ache in his head was slowly receding, and the light above him seemed dimmer. However, his arms and legs would still not move. Salazar chuckled devilishly, watching as Leon foolishly strained, the agent's face going red with effort.

"That's a little something we gave you to make you less...feisty. It should wear off in a couple of hours, but by then, we'll have everything we want from you."

_Want from me...?_

"What? What the hell do you want?" Leon choked, feeling panic begin to set in. Mendez' slumped and bloodied head was turned in his direction, the half-closed single eye gazing almost accusingly at him. Salazar smirked again, and Leon had a distinct impression that the Castallan was enjoying his ignorance. However, in a split-second, the smile vanished and a dark look crossed Salazar's face.

"Mr. Kennedy, do you have any idea of what your Plaga is capable of? Do you even know why the _great_ Lord Saddler gave you it? Gave _you_ it, instead of someone who understood and could use its powers properly?" Salazar snarled, and Leon wondered once again how someone so small and annoying could turn into a rather chilling authoritative figure that could make even a stoic man cringe. Yet, he decided to let the man know that he wasn't going to let himself be intimidated. Saddler would come for him, or something would turn up, it always did.

"Because he likes me? Do you really think that if those villagers and your..._boyfriend _hadn't started chasing me with axes and pitchforks, that I would have shot them anyway?" That question earned him a slap, and Salazar hissed in reply. He then composed himself, walking away from Leon towards Mendez. "You took something away from me Mr. Kennedy. Now I'll take something from you."

-------------------------------------------------------

Saddler was panicking. It had been about two hours since he left his bedchamber in the pursuit of Leon, and he had seen neither hide nor hair of the man. He had checked about half the castle, and, if all else failed, was not looking forward to venturing into the mines. Rounding a corner, he nearly walked straight into Luis, the researcher moodily trudging along with his eyes to the floor. When he saw Saddler, he started in terror for a brief moment, backing away a little. Saddler very nearly snarled at him, but managed to keep himself from doing anything that might scare Luis away. They stared at each other before Saddler coughed slightly.

"Do you know where Leon is?" He asked, trying not to sound like he despised the researcher too much. Luis gave him a disgusted look.

"Why? Too hard to keep track of your whore?"

Saddler blinked, on the verge of impaling Luis again for his audacity. He gritted his teeth, trying to restrain himself, and repeated the question. Luis just shrugged. "Eating, last time I saw him. Check the dining room." Saddler shook his head. "Already did..." Luis pushed past him, walking back the way Saddler had come. "Well, then I don't know where he is," he snarled over his shoulder. "I'm not his fucking maid."

The priest watched him go, wondering about the Spaniard's open hostility. Shaking his head, he entered a door to his left, the heavy metal creaking with age. He tutted, making a mental note to talk to Salazar about restoring the castle, although he doubted the younger man would agree. Salazar had never been too fond of change. Walking a little further down the corridor, the priest was so engrossed in his thoughts of Leon, that he failed to notice the blood on the floor until he almost slipped over in it.

"What...?"

He knelt down, touching a finger to a small, almost-dry puddle of the blood. There were similar pools on the floor nearby. Sniffing the congealing blood and then swiping it over his tongue, Saddler was sent reeling into a flashback.

_Saddler clutched Leon to his chest desperately. It was strange how the human could have such a profound effect on him. Fingers wound through his hair, pulling his head until his lips were pressed against the skin of that gorgeous, bared neck. He bit down, breaking through skin and sucking on the warm blood that welled from the wound, listening to the moans and gasps that the agent was so good at making. The liquid was sweet and metallic, exactly the thing that Leon _knew _brought out the predator in Saddler. He pushed the priest away, bringing a hand to his bloody neck and trailing it down his own stomach, watching as Saddler eagerly followed with his mouth._

Saddler stood up, eyes glinting. This was _Leon's _blood. Something had happened, something bad. The blood trail was smeared on the floor, whoever did this not bothering to cover their tracks. Saddler growled with rage, and began following the trail, vowing that when he found the person who had hurt Leon, he would make them suffer in the worst way he could possibly think of...

-------------------------------------------------------

Ada swooped elegantly through the open window, terrifying Luis who had the impression of a sharp(and completely inappropriate for the situation) high-heeled shoe almost connecting with his head. He ducked, watching as the fluttering red dress fell back around the woman's legs, obstructing his view of he thighs. He gave a disappointed sign, nothing seemed to be going his way today. At least, not yet.

"Señorita," he greeted her, trademark cocky smile pasted on his face. She seemed unimpressed, holstering her grapple gun and taking a small case out of her pocket.

"Mr. Cool." Luis grinned. He liked that. "So, what have you got for me?" Ada opened the small case, revealing a syringe and several small vials of the liquid that Luis had collected earlier. "A vaccine?"

"A cure." She watched as the Spaniard studied the substance curiously. "More effective and less painful than your electric chair. This will cure a host of any Las Plagas in their system, but we only have a limited amount. So the top two Luis. And just to make sure they don't try anything again-" she held out a concealed handgun to the researcher. "Shoot them. Saddler and the short guy." Luis took the gun apprehensively.

"And Leon?"

She turned to the window, grappling gun at the ready. "Leave him to me. Wesker's orders." Luis glared at the case in his hand. "Just how am I supposed to get close enough to use this?" Ada sighed.

"No idea. Run up to them and give them a cuddle? That stuff works pretty fast, so they should be human before they realise what's going on."

"And should the worst happen?" Ada didn't look at him, just adjusted the angle on the grappling gun. She fired, hitting an opposite wall. "Then I'll be back one last time, with a shiny red button at my disposal."

Before Luis could reply, Ada was gone; sailing through the window and into the dark like a red moth. She flipped onto the roof, dress flapping, and then disappeared. Luis snorted quietly at the theatrics.

"Women..." He glanced at the case again, and then looked back to the way he had come. "All right Saddler, let's see you get out of this one."

-------------------------------------------------------

_Oh shit. _

As soon as Salazar turned around, Leon's attention was immediately directed to the surgeon's scalpel held in one of his pale hands. The small man had a wicked smile on his face, and he traced his lips lightly with the blade. He then bent over Leon, running the scalpel down a cheek and drawing a thin line of blood. The American suppressed a cry of pain, glaring at Salazar, his tongue held still by his teeth.

"You are lucky I am so considerate Mr. Kennedy," Salazar breathed. "I could have just tied you down and let you feel everything. But, as generous as I am, I have decided that your last moments should be without pain. A generosity that you didn't show him." He jerked his head towards Mendez. Leon had no choice but to watch as the sharp blade descended, slicing through the shirt he was wearing and

some of the skin underneath. But, as Salazar promised, he felt nothing. Seeing the red line on his chest, the agent's breathing quickened with panic.

"Listen, I-I'm sorry, ok? But if I hadn't killed him, he-he would have killed me!" The smaller man ignored him, and began a deeper cut, the blood slowly seeping down his side. "Look, this isn't fucking fair! You can't expect me to just stand there and not defend myself against someone who was trying to choke me to death!" Leon's voice rose hysterically, he could now see the glistening exposed muscle and a blunt white object, smeared with red, that looked horribly like a rib. "Stop! STOP IT!"

Surprisingly, Salazar did stop. He stooped beside Leon's head, grabbing a fistful of hair in a small hand. His lips were right beside the agent's ear, and all Leon could see was his chest partially dissected like some kind of fucked-up school biology project. His eyes went wide even as Salazar whispered into his ear, teeth gritted as he tried to make the American understand.

"He made me_ happy." _Salazar's voice was almost a sob, and he resumed slicing into Leon's chest more forcefully.

Although the agent couldn't feel any pain, he was aware that his harsh breathing was nothing to do with the fact that he was scared. Salazar must be near a lung, he supposed. Ribs were broken as the Castallan searched for something, white hands stained with sticky blood. The snapping noises made Leon groan, and he looked up as he heard Salazar make a small exclamation. Poking out of the hole was a tendril, a small tentacle. His Plaga.

The tendril wriggled, lashing out at Salazar. The shorter man merely giggled and clucked his tongue reprovingly. "Now now," he murmured softly, "I control you. You don't deserve to be inside this worthless human, do you?" The Plaga continued to whip its tentacle around, and Leon felt a slight pulling in his chest. It was attached to his heart in a powerful grip, digging in with spines. Removing the Plaga would mean...

_Whoop-dee-fucking-do._

However, Leon still had a faint hope that Saddler would come. _Something'll turn up...I didn't survive Raccoon city and all that shit to end up dying at the hands of a crazy midget..._

Salazar gave a tug on the back of the parasite, and Leon _screamed_. Not just because he could feel the harsh pull, not because he felt the Plaga cling harder, but because now he was truly terrified. His breath wheezed as the scream trailed off, and he finally realised something.

_I am going to die. He is going to rip my heart out and give it to Mendez. I won't see Saddler again..._

His heart beat rapidly, and he closed his eyes, tears leaking out. It was better like this, he couldn't see the wound or feel any pain, all he could do was _remember_. An image flashed in font of him, Ada was standing before him, a hand on her hip, and Leon heard himself talk.

"_Running off like that was stupid and reckless!"_

_Heh, I guess your life really does flash in front of your eyes..._

Krauser now, the first time they met in training...

_Hi. My name's Leon."_

_Leon was wide-eyed with innocence, a smile on his face. It was his first day training at the academy, and he was trying to make as many friends as possible. He was feeling rather intimidated by the muscular and beefy man training alongside him, so he was determined to get to know him before he let his fear keep him from approaching the guy in the future. _

_The man nodded, and Leon wondered how he kept the red beret from sliding off his head. Wisps of blonde hair peeked out from under it._

"_Krauser."_

_Leon got the impression that the man didn't talk much. But he could respect that. For a second he stood nervously, neither of them saying anything. The bigger man finally broke the silence. "Couple of the guys are going for a drink after training. You want to come, kid?"_

_Leon smiled enthusiastically and nodded. He was going to like it here..._

"Heh, Krauser..." He slurred aloud, the lack of blood starting to affect his brain. "Krauser! I'm sorry." Salazar gave him a strange look, and Leon sobered up slightly, watching as more tendrils were drawn from his wound.

"Didn't...not this way...I don't want to die!" He rasped, more tears flashing down his face. Salazar kept his eyes down. "Neither did Bitores," he murmured.

Leon felt a grasping pain, the Plaga refusing to leave its host. Leon closed his eyes again, slowly, and Salazar paused. "Still with me?" he asked, feigned sympathy in his voice. Leon struggled to breath, the smell of blood suddenly very noticeable. "Hurts," came the whimpered reply. Salazar just grunted impatiently, swatting away the rebellious Plaga's tentacles.

"Please...it hurts..." Leon gasped, pointlessly addressing his Plaga in a crazed panic. "Let go...stop..." The Plaga squirmed reluctantly as Salazar picked a pair of forceps off a nearby table and dug them roughly into Leon's numb wound. The resulting pain in his heart was too much and Leon moaned, wishing that someone would come and stop his agony. Everything began to fade, even when he opened his eyes, all the dim colours of the room melting into each other, creating a blurred world.

He felt he should apologise. He wasn't quite sure who to, Salazar, Saddler...himself, but he needed to say it. He cracked his lips open with effort, and managed a croaked apology. "I'm sorry. Wish I could make...make it right." A flash of pain shot through his head and he bit his tongue to stop himself from crying out.

_I'm sorry love...so sorry._

He turned his eyes upwards, the cold stone ceiling consuming his view.

_So sorry._

He couldn't feel any more, couldn't hear Salazar's inane chatter or the noises of flesh being stripped from his body.

_So sorry._

Didn't see the door burst open.

_I love you..._

**

* * *

Ok, so I was talking out of my hat. I have no idea what would happen physically if someone had their chest cut open, because I have never had my chest cut open whilst awake.**

**Bit depressing though, hmm?**

**Anyway, please review, or I'll make you all even more depressed! I have the power! Thanks for reading.**


	12. Deliverance

**Here's the next chapter...personally, I think I f-ed it up. Anyway, thanks to all who reviewed, ya guys like cliffhangers, huh ;)? Please take your time with this chapter, there's a lot going on... and I tried to make Salazar's dialog as realistic as possible. **

**Enjoy!**

His blue eyes were half open, but he saw nothing. Blood matted his blond hair and ran in rivulets down the side of his face. His hands lay at his side, trembling, and his breath rattled in his throat. He was broken in every sense of the word, consciousness slowly being shredded away with his sanity.

Salazar jumped as the door flew open with a flourish, clanging loudly as it hit the wall. He hissed in terror and rage at the figure, who was standing quite still and in complete shock.

"Saddler." The word carried reluctant hatred and slight guilt. The priest ignored the Castallan, and hurried to the table where Leon lay, a painful and shocked look on his face. He cupped the cop's face in his hands, leaning in close, searching for any sign of recognition.

"Leon...look at me, please..." Those blue eyes remained empty, the only sign of life- labored breathing. Saddler's eyes traveled to the ruined chest, to the exposed Plaga. He hastily opened his hand over the parasite, and whispered: "Heal-"

"NO!" A furious shriek echoed around the room. Salazar had apparently snapped out of his shock at being discovered and had a breathless pink flush to his cheeks. He stayed where he was however, gripping the bloodied metal instrument, a maddening gleam in his eyes. "Leave it Saddler, it is mine!"

Saddler looked at him in amazement, the hurt of another betrayal creeping into his face. "Ramon? But...you..._why_?" he stammered, struggling to understand. Salazar gestured to Mendez' ruined body on the table beside him, tears of rage forming. "You didn't even _care_! You just said- you said it was a _shame_! You acted like he was _expandable_! He was my lover- you knew this!" Salazar paused for a moment to catch his breath. His cheeks were even more ruddy now, and a tear actually slipped down one. "And now he's dead because of- of _him_!" He pointed an accusing finger at Leon, who still lay limp and shivering. "Then you...and he...you _touched _that filthy rat! You have betrayed us, Osmund, and forsaken your own religion! You don't deserve to be part of the Los Illuminados." Salazar finished with a whisper, tears falling freely onto the cold stone floor.

There was silence, broken only by Leon's wheezing breaths. The priest turned his attention back to the cop, who was blinking slowly and seemed to be trying to swallow. Salazar screeched, a sound that could have shattered glass, and yelled: "The gift should be Bitores'! YOU HEAR ME?" With no response from Saddler, Salazar was on the verge of launching himself at the older man when another figure in the doorway caught his eye.

Luis Sera held Ada's handgun aimed at Saddler, his face twisted in shock when he saw Leon. Saddler looked up and growled, just as Luis fired the first shot. The bullets hit their intended target; Saddler's eyes ending up deep inside his shattered skull. He writhed in agony, clutching at his face, before calling up his Plaga's mutation skills. His first leg mutated, the large yellow eye on it tightly closed., and then opened his mouth, the single eye widening as the next thing he saw was a needle descending through the air. Luis stabbed it into the eye, and squeezed the plunger before leaping nimbly away and watched the serum do its work.

Saddler seemed frozen for a brief moment, the eye on his leg swiveling round in panic, regular human eyes rapidly healing. He then slumped to the ground, mutated leg dissolving back and the eyeball in his mouth turning to dust. His hands twitched and body shook, the serum doing its job of killing the Plaga inside. Luis was at Leon's side in an instant, unconcerned about the twitching priest. He raised a new syringe, prepared to inject it straight into the Plaga covering Leon's heart.

"I'll save you _amor,_" he murmured gently, the tip of the needle almost touching the quivering parasite. The next instant, something barreled straight into his legs, knocking him off his feet. Salazar picked himself up, slightly disorientated from the collision with Luis' shins, and strode to grab the gun that had slipped out of the researcher's grip.

_Crunch._

He looked down at the thing that had just smashed beneath his foot, and grinned. The syringe.

He retrieved the handgun from the floor and pointed it at Luis. Truth be told, he had no idea how to use it, and would be at a complete loss if the other Spaniard tried to attack him. Luis remained on the floor, watching Salazar fearfully, his eyes wide. Behind him, Saddler's Plaga was crying out ultrasonically. Salazar could hear the screams of pain in his head and was torn by his Plaga's insistent mental nudges to go and help the writhing priest. However, he gritted his teeth in determination and, still aiming the gun at Luis, returned to his task of removing Leon's Plaga. This time, he was more forceful, dipping his hand into the American's chest and grabbing the parasite, wincing as small spines dug into his skin. Luis watched in helpless panic, actually willing Saddler to get up and help. The cult leader continued to lie on the floor though. No matter how fast the serum was, apparently it was going to take a little while for the shock of becoming human again to pass.

The Plaga squirmed under Salazar's fingers, its protective spikes doing little to deter the Castallan. The constant tugging was gradually dislodging the tightened tentacles, and, with a final pull, the Plaga's hold was relinquished. Leon groaned as the squeezing pressure stopped, shallowly panting in relief. Salazar, with the gun still trained on Luis, sauntered over to Mendez' body, the Plaga wriggling furiously in his grip. The two halves of his lover were hurriedly pushed together and the Plaga unceremoniously shoved into the bloody gap. It burrowed downwards, into the torn flesh, and out of sight. Nothing happened for a few moments; everything seemed to be frozen in motion, Salazar pointing the gun at a panting Luis, Saddler twitching on the floor, Leon still lying limp on the table.

---------------------------------------------------------------

_The Dark. _

_It fogged his mind, numbing every sensation, every thought. Nothing to feel, nothing to touch, nothing to look at apart from incomprehensible bleakness._

_There was nothing. For the longest time, there was nothing._

_And then..._

_A flicker of light in the Dark. Some small spark of energy bobbed around ecstatically, more following its movements. He watched them almost giddily, self-awareness creeping slowly back in. Flesh healed itself, all the blood, burns and bruises fading into nothing._

_Suddenly, like a lightning bolt striking the earth, his mind snapped into focus. The Dark was gone, replaced by blurred images that quickly cleared to give him a nice view of some sort of stone wall, high above him._

_A ceiling then. He was lying down?_

_It didn't matter; all that was important was that now, he, Bitores Mendez, was alive._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"...Ra...Ramon?"

The deep voice held a hint of confusion, the owner sitting slowly up and gazing around. Salazar was at his side in an instant, burying his face gleefully into the healed body. Mendez instinctively looped an arm around him, eyebrows knotted in bewilderment. He looked down at the smaller man, affection overriding his initial confusion. A pained groan came from behind and Mendez slowly turned, aware of his body's temporarily fragile condition, to see Saddler now lying still on the floor and moaning as though his whole world had fallen apart. His once-yellow eyes were now a stony gray, and they switched between Mendez and Salazar, and Leon. He struggled to stand, Mendez watching in horror as the powerful priest was reduced to leaning against the wall for support. Saddler then struggled, as well as he was able, to Leon, clumsily trying to press the snapped ribs together.

"Ramon...what have you done?" Mendez asked quietly, trying to steady his shaking voice. Salazar nuzzled closer into his body, eyes falling upon the panicking Saddler. He smirked.

"It doesn't matter. Everything will be alright now."

**Thanks for reading...uh...**


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